PA28 PLT HAD VERTIGO IN IMC DEPARTING THE IND AREA.

Narrative

DEP CLRNC FROM ATC WAS 'CLRED AS FILED; L TURN TO 300 DEGS; CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT; SQUAWK ABCD; DEP FREQ IS 124.95.' AFTER DEP AND WHILE IN THE L-HAND TURN ON CLBOUT; I ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 700 FT AGL; SOLID IMC. AT 2000 FT MSL; I NOTICED MY TURN WAS GREATER THAN 15 DEGS; STANDARD RATE. I CORRECTED FOR IT TO THE R. WHILE STILL IMC; I LOOKED OUTSIDE TO THE L JUST AS I WOULD HAVE DONE TO CLR THE AREA FOR THE TURN. I RPTED MY DEP TO ATC AND WAS CLRED TO CHANGE TO DEP FREQ. I THEN HAD TO TURN MY HEAD TO THE R. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I FIRST NOTICED THE SOUND OF MY ACFT IN AN OVERSPD CONDITION -- 140 MPH. I PULLED OFF PWR AND PULLED AFT FOR PITCH SINCE I HAD ENTERED INTO A DSCNT. I STILL FELT THAT I WAS IN A L-HAND TURN GOING TO MY ASSIGNED HDG OF 300 DEGS. HOWEVER; MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS TURNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR SHOWED ME IN A R-HAND BANK OF MORE THAN 30 DEGS AND INCREASING. THE AIRSPD SUDDENLY DECREASED TO 80 MPH AND SLOWING. I THEN TOOK IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND TREATED THIS AS AN 'UNUSUAL ATTITUDE.' TRAINING KICKED IN; FULL PWR; LEVEL THE WINGS; STOP THE CLB. HOWEVER; I WAS STILL FIGHTING THE SENSATION OF A L-HAND TURN. ONCE THE ACFT WAS BACK UNDER MY CTL; I EXECUTED A GENTLE 10 DEG L-HAND TURN AND COMPLETED A NEAR 360 DEG CIRCLE WHILE MAINTAINING 2200 FT. I ROLLED OUT ON MY ORIGINAL ASSIGNED HDG OF 300 DEGS AND CONTINUED MY CLB TO 4000 FT. MY EXECUTION OF THE CIRCLE TO THE L HELPED ME OVERCOME THE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CONCENTRATING ON MY INSTS TO MAKE THEM ALL AGREE. THE REMAINDER OF MY FLT WAS IN IMC AND UNEVENTFUL TO MY DEST; 50 MINS LATER. I DID NOT RPT MY SIT TO ATC NOR DID I REQUEST TO MAKE A CIRCLE. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO FIGHT FOR WHAT I REALIZED WAS FOR MY LIFE. NOT TALKING TO ATC AND CONCENTRATING ON WHAT I WAS DOING WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO SOMEBODY ON THE GND. I KNEW THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT ANYWHERE NEAR ME -- SITUATIONAL AWARENESS -- AND I WAS UNDER RADAR CONTACT. THE CTLR DID NOT ASK IF THERE WAS A PROB. I WAS ASKED TO RESET MY XPONDER TO THE CORRECT SETTING OF ABCD DURING MY CLB TO 4000 FT. MY WHOLE EXPERIENCE LASTED APPROX 60-120 SECONDS. I LEARNED MORE FROM THIS EXPERIENCE THAN I THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I DO FEEL THAT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION NEEDS MORE EMPHASIS DURING TRAINING FOR BOTH THE PVT AND IFR RATING. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY IFR INSTRUCTOR STRESSED PARTIAL PANEL AS MUCH AS HE DID. AT ONE POINT DURING MY RECOVERY; I TREATED MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AS 'UNRELIABLE;' AND WORKED OFF OF MY TURN COORDINATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO. I HAVE HAD MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR OVERHAULED TWICE WITHIN THE PAST 9 MONTHS DUE TO FAILURES WHILE VFR. EACH FAILURE OF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR RESULTED IN A 5-8 DEG TILT TO THE R. CONSEQUENTLY; I DID NOT COMPLETELY TRUST THAT INDICATOR; WHEN IN FACT IT WAS TELLING ME THE TRUTH -- 'THIS TIME.' I'M TO REPLACE THIS INDICATOR FOR A NEW ONE REGARDLESS. I DO CONTRIBUTE 3 FACTORS TO MY SAVING THE SIT: 1) MY IFR TRAINING; 2) A SMALL AMOUNT OF SKILL; AND 3) THE GRACE OF GOD.