PA-46 Malibu Meridian
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 14; Flight Crew Total 1198; Flight Crew Type 160
Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Weather; Human Factors
Upon takeoff and turning North on a 360 vector from Tower I entered clouds at 1;000 MSL when my navigation display (Meggitt) failed [as I was] climbing to 4;000 feet and was handed over to Center. I lost control of the airplane while in the clouds. I regrouped; gained control of the airplane and asked to climb up on top to 10;000 feet.  ATC asked my intentions and I asked for an airport with better visibility while I evaluated my aircraft. He advised an airport a nearby had 4;000 feet and 10SM visibility. I was cleared to there and was stepped down while maintaining VFR. Upon clearing the clouds; I canceled my IFR flight plan; thanked Center for their help and landed VFR. I believe the cause of this incident was my failure to properly scan and my fixation with a failed instrument. Getting the instrument repaired/replaced will eliminate the instrument failure; keeping myself from fixating on the broken instrument and continuing my scan would have prevented this incident.
A PA-46 pilot lost first his Nav display and next control of the aircraft as he climbed out in IMC on an IFR flight plan. After regaining control he requested a clearance to on top; weather advisories for area airports and vectors to a nearby VMC field where he landed safely.