KC135 HAS INSTRUMENTATION PROBS AND MUST RETURN TO DEP ARPT. ENRTE HAS AN ALTDEV.

Narrative

THIS FLT WAS AN AIR REFUELING MISSION TO REFUEL A C135 ON AR207 SW/NE. ON OUR FLT TO THE AR TRACK; THE COPLT'S ATTITUDE INDICATOR BECAME INOP. WITH NIGHTTIME APCHING AND POOR WX FORECAST AT OUR DEST; WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO GUS (OUR DEP) AND CANCEL THE AIR REFUELING. ON TACTICAL FREQ; THE C135 RECOMMENDED RANDOM REFUELING ON OUR WAY BACK TO GUS. WE TRIED TO COORDINATE THIS REQUEST WITH ZDC; BUT THEY WERE SO BUSY THAT THEY COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE US. WE THEN TERMINATED WITH THE C135 AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO GUS. THIS CHANGE IN FLT PLAN COMBINED WITH THE BUSY TFC CONDITIONS SEEMED TO CAUSE PROBS AT ZDC. AT THE SAME TIME; OUR COCKPIT BECAME VERY BUSY WITH THE INOP INST; CHANGE OF FLT PLAN; COORD WITH OUR COMMAND POST AND THE C135; BUSY TFC CONDITIONS AND NOT TO MENTION FLYING THE ACFT. WE FINALLY GOT A CLRNC BACK TO GUS; WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLB TO FL310. MY COPLT WAS A LITTLE UNSURE OF THIS CLRNC; BUT ZDC WAS SO BUSY WE COULD NOT GET A CALL OFF TO THEM TO CONFIRM THE ALT. PASSING THROUGH FL290 ON OUR WAY UP TO FL310 ZDC CALLED US (NEW CTLR) AND ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE FL350. WE ANSWERED YES IMMEDIATELY AND THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT FL290; CLB AND MAINTAIN FL350; TURN 20 DEGS TO THE R.' THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS PROB: 1) ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILURE (NIGHTTIME APCHING AND POSSIBLE IMC CONDITIONS). 2) ZDC BEING EXTREMELY BUSY. 3) HAVING TO CHANGE PLANS IN EXTREMELY BUSY AIRSPACE. 4) OUR COCKPIT BECOMING VERY BUSY AS WE WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH INST FAILURE; CHANGING FLT PLANS; THE C135; AND ZDC ALL AT THE SAME TIME. CRM?