Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 1485; Flight Crew Type 129
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Weather; Aircraft; Human Factors
While on an ILS approach in IMC; I was advised that I was drifting left of course. When I changed the flight director heading; there was no response. The autopilot had disconnected. By this time I was in a descent; off course and in a 60 degree bank. After leveling the plane; I corrected the descent and climbed back to altitude. The Controller did a fantastic job vectoring us back to the airport until we had visual contact; we landed safely; parked; and kissed the ground. Dense fog was drifting through the area; I would guess the ceiling to be about 700 at that time.I believe a contributing factor was the lack of situational awareness once I realized the autopilot was off. The fog moving through the area lowered the ceiling and visibility to below what I was expecting; the sky conditions had been improving and I was anticipating a lot better visibility upon arrival. I should have been more prepared to handle the conditions that developed.
A C414 autopilot disconnected during an IMC approach and after ATC questioned the pilot's heading he recovered from a 60 degree bank descending turn and returned to land safely.