Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 28; Flight Crew Total 441; Flight Crew Type 441
Physiological - Other; Workload
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Chart Or Publication; Procedure; Weather
During a routine IFR training flight and upon departure from 0S9 (Port Townsend; WA - Jefferson County Intl); we were following the published Obstacle Procedure like we have many numerous times in training and filing IFR. On this day; it was Intermittent IMC above 1500 and VFR under and notable that day was 20 knots plus winds aloft from the Northwest. Upon departure from Runway 09; take off and turning right to heading 090 and in the climb; Turbulence and Tailwind were increasing; and IMC Conditions now present in and out of Cloud Banks. When I went to intercept the 166 radial off the Penn Cove VOR turning North; what was now strong tail winds and light to moderate chop; quickly became a pronounced quartering tail wind with well defined moderate turbulence present. I became disoriented with the leans as the plane was not easily coming level. This created the beginning of an unusual attitude that was best corrected by recovering out of the right turn and remaining in said turn to get back on what was now the controllers vectors of 320 vs As Filed; I was able to recover from this and then began working to comply with ATC as they were inquiring why we were deviating course. I explained to the controller after the plane was stable and back on course that I had entered IMC in Turbulence and experienced spatial disorientation and had to recover. Once the plane neared 4;000 MSL; turbulence lightened; and I was able to proceed on course and as filed to Friday Harbor with no further issue. The rest of the day we experienced strong winds into Bellingham and then back into Port Angeles but nothing else of note. I am writing this to call out what I learned and what I also believe is a risk to myself and other pilots. I believe this Obstacle Departure Procedure places aircraft and pilots while under a potentially heavy workload in IMC in an area that is well known and proven for strong weather convergence with little to no information to fully assess conditions in such a micro climate. I believe there is a safety issue here that could be mediated by reducing the greater than 45 degrees requirements that exists today from 090 degrees bearing to intercepting the 166 Radial and a 346 Bearing. This ODP creates risk and added another link in the chain against me that day; with the strong quartering wind; and turbulence created an unusual attitude and deviation to course. The Instructor and I briefed on what went right and wrong there. We concluded that unusual attitude training cannot be emphasized enough as part of initial and continued training. We also agreed that the use of the Autopilot in heading mode would have helped avoid this situation as I was hand flying through the strong quartering and side wind/turbulence. I also called out that the aircraft has a leaning tendency to the right which I believe was not a key item; but could have added another link in the chain as it may have magnified the strong action the plane took to shift/turn to the right. I am having a Mechanic from a certified service center further evaluate to ensure the plane is in proper rigging beyond what was observed in the last annual inspection.
GA pilot reported compliance with unsafe ODP with turbulence and wind required a turn greater than 45 degrees resulted in spatial disorientation.