If an artificial horizon becomes toppled during flight, what is its serviceability status?

When an artificial horizon, also known as an attitude indicator, becomes toppled during flight, it does not render the instrument entirely inoperative. Instead, the instrument may still be functional and capable of providing information regarding the aircraft's orientation, albeit not in a standard manner.

The artificial horizon typically relies on a gyroscope to maintain its orientation. If the gyroscope becomes toppled, the instrument may not present the correct pitch and roll information. However, it can still be serviceable in that it is still displaying information; it may just require some time for the gyroscopic element to stabilize and re-erect to provide accurate readings again.

It is important to recognize that while the instrument could still show some relevant data, pilots would have to interpret this information carefully and should not rely solely on the toppled artificial horizon for their situational awareness. This is key in understanding why the serviceability status is deemed to allow the instrument some functionality despite the issue encountered.