BE36 PLT DIVERTS TO MDW FROM CG FOR WX REASONS THEN LOSES CTL OF ACFT WHEN AUTOPLT FAILS DURING RWY 31C ILS APCH TO MDW; IL.

Narrative

ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR GMU; SC. TO MEIGS FIELD (CGX) CHICAGO. ABOUT 100 MI OUT; LISTENING TO CGX ATIS; ATIS WAS RPTING CEILING OF 400 FT; BELOW IFR MINIMUMS. CONTINUED MONITORING GAVE THE SAME INFO. CHICAGO APCH INDICATED MEIGS WAS CLOSED AND I TOLD THEM I WOULD TAKE MY ALTERNATE OF MDW ARPT. I HAD BEEN DSNDED TO 4000 FT MSL AND GIVEN A VECTOR FOR THE RWY 31C APCH TO MDW. THE CTLR WANTED TO KNOW HOW FAST I COULD FLY AT PRESENT. I TOLD HIM MY INDICATED AIRSPD WAS 145 KIAS. HE SAID THAT WAS FINE AND 'KEEP THE SPD UP.' I NOTICED ON MY MOVING MAP GPS THAT HE WAS RUNNING ME THROUGH THE LOC. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS; HE TURNED ME BACK TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. HE ADVISED ME TO 'CAUTION FOR WAKE TURB' AS I WAS FOLLOWING A BIG HVY; AND TO CONTINUE TO KEEP MY SPD UP. HE MENTIONED THAT IF HE HAD FORGOT TO CLR ME FOR THE APCH (WHICH HE HAD FORGOT TO DO) THAT I WAS CLRED AND CONTACT MDW TWR. WHEN I CONTACTED TWR; THEY INFORMED ME THAT MEIGS WAS AT 800 FT AND DID I WANT A SPECIAL WHEN I BROKE OUT TO GO TO MEIGS. I TOLD THEM I WOULD CONTINUE ON TO MDW -- BOTH MOVING MAP GPS'S AND THE HSI WERE CTRED ON THE LOC. AS THE GS STARTED TO COME ALIVE I PUT IN 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS (APCH FLAPS). THE AUTOPLT WAS HOLDING CTRLINE IN APCH MODE. WHEN THE GS CTRED; I REACHED OVER AND LOWERED THE GEAR. I FELT THE DRAG AS THE GEAR EXTENDED. I CHKED TO SEE THAT I HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS -- I DID. I CHKED BACK TO THE INSTS AND FOUND THAT I WAS IN A 60 DEG BANK TO THE L AND IN A RAPID DSCNT. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING. I WAS TRYING TO ROLL OUT THE BANK AND STOP THE DSCNT AS I TALKED TO HIM TO TELL HIM WE HAD AN AUTOPLT FAILURE. I TOLD HIM WE HAD AN EMER SIT. HOW MUCH HE HEARD; I'M NOT SURE; AS I WAS TRYING TO REGAIN CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND WAS NOT AWARE OF HOW MUCH I WAS PUSHING THE PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON. HE TOLD ME TO TURN R TO 090 DEGS AND LEVEL AT 2500 FT. AS WE APCHED THE NEW HDG; HE CHANGED THE ALT TO 2000 FT AND TOLD ME TO TURN L TO 300 DEGS AND TRACK IT IN; NEXT TO DSND TO 1500 FT. BEFORE REACHING 1500 FT; WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. HE ASKED IF WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE. I SAID NO; THAT WE HAD AN AUTOPLT FAILURE. HE SAID 'HAVE A NICE DAY' AS WE LANDED.