Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 8; Flight Crew Total 1300; Flight Crew Type 30
Distraction; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
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 New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Human Factors
I was on an IFR flight plan to KBUR. Weather at the time was a typical Southern California marine layer day; with ceilings of roughly 1700 feet and tops around 4300 feet. I was using the autopilot at 4000 feet in IMC and was being vectored by So Cal Approach. I was cleared for the KBUR ILS Runway 8 inside of SILEX intersection but my autopilot did not capture the approach. I was slow to react to this and it was not until I crossed the final approach course that I disconnected the autopilot and tried to turn back on glideslope. I was above and left of the glideslope and made some strong corrections back on course. During this transition to hand flying; I glanced down at the autopilot and wondered why it hadn't captured. The aircraft briefly entered into an unusual attitude (pitching down and rolling right). I quickly recovered but at that point I had turned significantly off course to the south. So Cal Approach vectored me around again and I hand flew an uneventful approach.
Small aircraft pilot momentarily entered an unusual attitude while trying to correct to the BUR ILS Runway 8 after the autopilot failed to capture the approach.