The Attitude Indicator Failed — N6075Q Lost Control in IMC

A Mooney pilot reported losing the attitude indicator while in cloud and then struggled to maintain a stable heading before radar contact was lost over the mountains.

Accident Facts

The First Sign Was the Turn

At 17:58 the controller noticed that the airplane had taken a significant turn. The pilot said he was correcting. Two minutes later, after being cleared direct to Aiken, ATC again noted that the airplane appeared to be overcorrecting. The pilot then identified the failed attitude indicator.

The Aircraft Was in IMC

When asked whether he was in the clouds, the pilot confirmed that he was in instrument meteorological conditions. The attitude indicator was therefore not merely a convenience; it was one of the primary references available for maintaining aircraft orientation without an outside visual horizon.

The Vacuum System

The recovered vacuum pump's shear coupling likely fractured before impact. The pump rotor was fragmented, and the NTSB found wear and contamination signatures inside the housing. The investigation concluded that the pump likely stopped operating during the flight, rendering the vacuum-driven attitude indicator and directional gyroscope inoperative.

ATC Tried to Stabilize the Flight

Controllers repeatedly tried to simplify the problem. The pilot was given a lower altitude, asked whether he could find clear skies and later told to focus on keeping the wings level and flying south. The controller also asked whether the magnetic compass worked. The pilot said it did, but he did not have an electrically powered turn indicator available.

The Final Exchange

At 18:13 the controller observed that the airplane had remained in a shallow left turn for several minutes. When asked whether the airplane was under control, the pilot replied “somewhat under control.” The controller estimated the aircraft at 6,500 ft, below the minimum IFR altitude. Two minutes later radar contact was lost.

Instrument Experience

The pilot had approximately 1,957 hours total time and 1,662 hours in the Mooney. However, the recovered logbook showed very limited recent instrument practice. Between July and December 2018 he logged only 1.2 hours actual instrument and 1.9 hours simulated instrument, with no flights recorded between December 2018 and the accident.

Conclusion

N6075Q's final sequence is unusually well documented because the controller and pilot remained in contact while the problem developed. The aircraft lost a primary attitude reference in cloud, the pilot struggled to maintain orientation, and ATC could see the resulting turns but could not restore the missing instrument reference. The NTSB ultimately attributed the loss of control to spatial disorientation.

Sources & Reconstruction Note

• https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?NTSBNumber=ERA19FA130