What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
In flight event. Under investigation.
Aircraft not airworthy pending further insp. Substantial damage. Aircraft made uncontrolled input that put aircraft in uncommanded loss of control.
PIC states:
Leg to kflg to kgup we were climbing out of 17000 feet to our cruise altitude of 19000.
Autopliot was engaged. A/c was climbing at 600 fpm. PIC stated, he was working on ipad to see position to Winslow when all programs on ipad stopped working. Working to reboot when a hard control inout to left .
PIC stated when he engaged on controls airspeed was decreasing 150KTS and increasing rapidly.
PIC stated he was in a steep spiral approaching 80-90 degrees of bank with nose 30-40 degrees down. A/p was still engaged at this time and fighting.
PIC stated, I then disengaged a/p and yaw damper. Pilot stated he used jet upset recovery techniques/stepped on rudder to bring sky pointer level.
The a/c came out of the dive and level.
Again airpseed decreased rapidly and approaching stall. PIC stated he looked past the ADI and he lowered nose 30- 40 degrees below horizon to gain control of speed. Second time he states
Turn coordinator need was pegged all way left when ADI showed level and HSI was not moving with no flags in view in instruments/flight director not in view. PIC states at this time he figured ADI was in error indicating level flight.
PIC states third attemp he leveled wings and found level flight with VSI, altimeter and airspeed. He stated this seemed to work as a/c stabilized although hard to control
PIC stated he asked for lower altitude with ATC and operated at 13500. Stated he then flew VFR after breaking out overcast.
PIC stated when in level flight ADI indicated 40 degrees pitch down and 30 degrees left bank. HSI was frozen when comparing to heading with ATC.
PIC stated at this time 50 miles out from kgup a/c was flying normal
He stated a/c was flying cruise, descent, landing were normal.
PIC stated no unusual flight characteristics or vibrations.
A/c landed safetly at kgup, 2 no injuries, 1 had minior.
As the FAA filed it
IN FLIGHT EVENT. UNDER INVESTIGATION.
AIRCRAFT NOT AIRWORTHY PENDING FURTHER INSP. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT MADE UNCONTROLLED INPUT THAT PUT AIRCRAFT IN UNCOMMANDED LOSS OF CONTROL.
PIC STATES:
LEG TO KFLG TO KGUP WE WERE CLIMBING OUT OF 17000 FEET TO OUR CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 19000.
AUTOPLIOT WAS ENGAGED. A/C WAS CLIMBING AT 600 FPM. PIC STATED, HE WAS WORKING ON IPAD TO SEE POSITION TO WINSLOW WHEN ALL PROGRAMS ON IPAD STOPPED WORKING. WORKING TO REBOOT WHEN A HARD CONTROL INOUT TO LEFT .
PIC STATED WHEN HE ENGAGED ON CONTROLS AIRSPEED WAS DECREASING 150KTS AND INCREASING RAPIDLY.
PIC STATED HE WAS IN A STEEP SPIRAL APPROACHING 80-90 DEGREES OF BANK WITH NOSE 30-40 DEGREES DOWN. A/P WAS STILL ENGAGED AT THIS TIME AND FIGHTING.
PIC STATED, I THEN DISENGAGED A/P AND YAW DAMPER. PILOT STATED HE USED JET UPSET RECOVERY TECHNIQUES/STEPPED ON RUDDER TO BRING SKY POINTER LEVEL.
THE A/C CAME OUT OF THE DIVE AND LEVEL.
AGAIN AIRPSEED DECREASED RAPIDLY AND APPROACHING STALL. PIC STATED HE LOOKED PAST THE ADI AND HE LOWERED NOSE 30- 40 DEGREES BELOW HORIZON TO GAIN CONTROL OF SPEED. SECOND TIME HE STATES
TURN COORDINATOR NEED WAS PEGGED ALL WAY LEFT WHEN ADI SHOWED LEVEL AND HSI WAS NOT MOVING WITH NO FLAGS IN VIEW IN INSTRUMENTS/FLIGHT DIRECTOR NOT IN VIEW. PIC STATES AT THIS TIME HE FIGURED ADI WAS IN ERROR INDICATING LEVEL FLIGHT.
PIC STATES THIRD ATTEMP HE LEVELED WINGS AND FOUND LEVEL FLIGHT WITH VSI, ALTIMETER AND AIRSPEED. HE STATED THIS SEEMED TO WORK AS A/C STABILIZED ALTHOUGH HARD TO CONTROL
PIC STATED HE ASKED FOR LOWER ALTITUDE WITH ATC AND OPERATED AT 13500. STATED HE THEN FLEW VFR AFTER BREAKING OUT OVERCAST.
PIC STATED WHEN IN LEVEL FLIGHT ADI INDICATED 40 DEGREES PITCH DOWN AND 30 DEGREES LEFT BANK. HSI WAS FROZEN WHEN COMPARING TO HEADING WITH ATC.
PIC STATED AT THIS TIME 50 MILES OUT FROM KGUP A/C WAS FLYING NORMAL
HE STATED A/C WAS FLYING CRUISE, DESCENT, LANDING WERE NORMAL.
PIC STATED NO UNUSUAL FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OR VIBRATIONS.
A/C LANDED SAFETLY AT KGUP, 2 NO INJURIES, 1 HAD MINIOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.