Accident Details
A Piper PA-28-236 aircraft was cruising at 6,000 feet during night conditions when the pilot reported a failure of the vacuum pump, followed by a loss of the attitude indicator and directional gyro. Radar observations showed the aircraft making a 360-degree turn on the scope.
Air traffic control issued 'no gyro' radar vectors to the pilot. The aircraft was subsequently cleared from 6,000 feet to 5,000 feet in preparation for an instrument approach. The pilot acknowledged the descent clearance, after which the aircraft disappeared from the radar scope.
Wreckage and Conditions
The aircraft was found scattered over a half-mile area. Both the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer had separated from the aircraft. The pilot's log book indicated that he met the recency of experience requirements specified in 14 CFR 61.57.
Weather reports indicated fog in the area, and the closest recorded weather observation showed a 900-foot ceiling with fog.