FTDK, It is not hard to find the stats. for loss of control into IMC.
OK Leadie, here you go! Given your long aviation experience (55 yrs) I can see why you are so attached to the "178 sec to live" story. The data you are quoting is from 1954!
In a 1954 study (180 - Degree Turn Experiment), the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation[4] found that 19 out of 20 non-instrument-rated subject pilots went into a graveyard spiral soon after entering simulated instrument conditions. The 20th pilot also lost control of his aircraft, but in another maneuver. The average time between onset of instrument conditions and loss of control was 178 seconds.
I haven't had a chance to dig out the original paper but I will try to. However, I suspect that the subjects had little, if any, IF training.
Maybe you were the one-off exception,
Yeah, I hear that a lot!
There is no valid arguments against the basic premise of "178 Seconds To Live".
Yes there is - its very old data! I would like to see some recent data where the subject pilots had a minimum of 3 hrs basic IF training!