Originally Posted by
Raptor090
I know it wont change these events, but if it can help prevent future accidents I think its worth a mention.
Correct me if I am wrong.
Most (if not all) GA IFR aircraft have autopilot slaved off the electric gyro, therefore a vac pump failure would not result in the autopilot becoming U/S.
I was always taught, if it turns to poo in IMC, turn on the autopilot if you have one and buy yourself ample time to fix the problem and/or land asap.
But autopilot is not always available, limited panel training is a must. Hope for the best, plan for the worst!
Not always Raptor. Sometimes the Autopilot sensors are fitted to the AH. If the AH fails so does the autopilot. Many years ago I worked in an instrument repair shop for Rex Aviation at Bankstown. The boss was a little hurried in in refitting an AH to a Cessna and reassembled the AH case with the Autopilot pickups out of alignment. On the test flight the aircraft keeled over when the autopilot was engaged. (in clear blue sky.) Similarly if the AH topples the aircraft will topple with it.
Greedy