SMA HAS VACUUM PUMP FAILURE. EXITS IMC FOR VMC.

Narrative

FLYING E ON V-12 (16 DME TO THE W OF RID AT 3000 FT MSL) EXPERIENCED VACUUM PUMP FAILURE AND LOSS OF ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO APPROX 20 SECONDS BEFORE ENTERING SOLID IMC WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. T-TAIL SMA BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE ON PARTIAL PANEL. I COVERED ATTITUDE INDICATOR WITH STICKY NOTE. 'TURN COORDINATOR' SEEMED OVERLY SENSITIVE TO CTL INPUTS. I NOTIFIED ATC OF VACUUM FAILURE IN IMC AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO FFO. I DECIDED TO 'BREAK A CHAIN' OF INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TASK BY REDUCING PWR DSNDING 600 FT AND REVERSING HDG TO RETURN TO VMC CONDITIONS. I THEN NOTIFIED ATC OF ACTIONS WHILE MAINTAINING VMC FLT TO CONNERSVILLE; IN; ARPT FOR VFR APCH AND LNDG. PRIOR TO VACUUM PUMP FAILURE THE INITIAL IFR FLT THAT MORNING FROM FFO TO HUF HAD BEEN EXCELLENT WITH APPROX 1.8 HRS SOLID IMC WITH AN ILS 23 APCH TO HUF. A DEP AT APPROX PM30 LCL HUF INTO 900 FT OVCST WITH IFR DIRECT SHB APPEARED NORMAL. NEARING SHB; APPROX 12 MI TO W; ATC QUESTIONED WHY MY HDG WAS TAKING ME TO INTERCEPT V-12 RATHER THAN PROCEEDING DIRECT TO SHB. I NOTED ABOUT 15 DEGS PRECESSION ON DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND RESET WITH COMPASS. THIS PROBABLY WAS THE FIRST INDICATION OF IMPENDING VACUUM PUMP FAILURE ALTHOUGH I DO NOT RECALL NOTING THE VACUUM FAILURE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ON. NOTE: UPON ENTERING FBO AT CONNERSVILLE; THE EMPLOYEE BEHIND THE COUNTER STATED THAT HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A TELEPHONE INQUIRY FROM DAYTON APCH CONFIRMING THAT WE MADE IT INTO THE ARPT AND THAT THEY WOULD CLOSE OUR IFR FLT PLAN.