Narrative:

I was with a private pilot who was in his final stage of instrument flight training. I had never flown with this student before. We were flying his privately owned aircraft which is based at sql. And where he is also based at for a couple of yrs. We were returning from an IFR training flight from oak via the midspan san mateo bridge to sql. We reported at 1200' mid span san mateo bridge to sql tower and were instructed to proceed direct knbr. At the time visibility was approximately 4-5 mi and sql nor knbr were yet visible. The aircraft DME had been stolen and the student stated that he could keep the bridge in sight until slightly knbr or sql. I told him to make sure to keep the bridge at least 2 mi off his wing (in prevailing visibility, we should have been able to accomplish this and keep bridge in sight). After that I wasn't paying much attention because I was looking for charts in my flight bag and I felt he could handle the navigation from that point on. We discovered we had entered the TCA when tower told us and instructed us to make a left turn. I told the student to turn left toward midbay, at which point he immediately did so. On the radio he told tower he was flying away from the TCA. ATC came back and gave him instructions to make an immediate 30 degree left turn and the student complied. I gave him further instructions. After the post-flight briefing I came to a couple of conclusions. What I believe really caused the problem was that there was no clear establishment of who was in control of the flight (PIC if you will). I assumed a private pilot in the final stage of instrument training in his own aircraft flying to his home base airport (the student also flys frequently) would be able to take it upon his own initiative to navigation safely and competently and remain clear of the TCA. I had essentially considered the training flight over and just en route to home with the student in control of the flight. From our discussion, the student appears to relinquish a great deal of control when an instrument is present. When told of the TCA entrance, the student made no corrective action until specifically told what to do by ATC and instrument. He also commented after the flight (paraphrased): 'when an instrument is with me I get really sloppy and let them tell me what to do.' in addition I feel now he was a little more uncomfortable in the reduced visibility that I knew or expected. Hence minus the dem (although the DME wasn't necessary in this case) the TCA even though both were possible. He also didn't ask for help from either myself nor ATC--again relinquishing control of aircraft and waiting for me to tell him what to do. I shouldn't have relinquished control on my part. I should have considered myself PIC and in full control when with a student regardless of student's experience. And if flying with another pilot on a no training flight it should be made very clear who is PIC. I also should have been more aware of the student's background and primarily attitude and also establish before the training flight exactly what each expects from one another.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENTERED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS WITH A PVT PLT WHO WAS IN HIS FINAL STAGE OF INSTRUMENT FLT TRNING. I HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THIS STUDENT BEFORE. WE WERE FLYING HIS PRIVATELY OWNED ACFT WHICH IS BASED AT SQL. AND WHERE HE IS ALSO BASED AT FOR A COUPLE OF YRS. WE WERE RETURNING FROM AN IFR TRNING FLT FROM OAK VIA THE MIDSPAN SAN MATEO BRIDGE TO SQL. WE RPTED AT 1200' MID SPAN SAN MATEO BRIDGE TO SQL TWR AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED DIRECT KNBR. AT THE TIME VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 4-5 MI AND SQL NOR KNBR WERE YET VISIBLE. THE ACFT DME HAD BEEN STOLEN AND THE STUDENT STATED THAT HE COULD KEEP THE BRIDGE IN SIGHT UNTIL SLIGHTLY KNBR OR SQL. I TOLD HIM TO MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE BRIDGE AT LEAST 2 MI OFF HIS WING (IN PREVAILING VISIBILITY, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND KEEP BRIDGE IN SIGHT). AFTER THAT I WASN'T PAYING MUCH ATTN BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR CHARTS IN MY FLT BAG AND I FELT HE COULD HANDLE THE NAV FROM THAT POINT ON. WE DISCOVERED WE HAD ENTERED THE TCA WHEN TWR TOLD US AND INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I TOLD THE STUDENT TO TURN LEFT TOWARD MIDBAY, AT WHICH POINT HE IMMEDIATELY DID SO. ON THE RADIO HE TOLD TWR HE WAS FLYING AWAY FROM THE TCA. ATC CAME BACK AND GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE 30 DEG LEFT TURN AND THE STUDENT COMPLIED. I GAVE HIM FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER THE POST-FLT BRIEFING I CAME TO A COUPLE OF CONCLUSIONS. WHAT I BELIEVE REALLY CAUSED THE PROB WAS THAT THERE WAS NO CLEAR ESTABLISHMENT OF WHO WAS IN CONTROL OF THE FLT (PIC IF YOU WILL). I ASSUMED A PVT PLT IN THE FINAL STAGE OF INSTRUMENT TRNING IN HIS OWN ACFT FLYING TO HIS HOME BASE ARPT (THE STUDENT ALSO FLYS FREQUENTLY) WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE IT UPON HIS OWN INITIATIVE TO NAV SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY AND REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. I HAD ESSENTIALLY CONSIDERED THE TRNING FLT OVER AND JUST ENRTE TO HOME WITH THE STUDENT IN CONTROL OF THE FLT. FROM OUR DISCUSSION, THE STUDENT APPEARS TO RELINQUISH A GREAT DEAL OF CONTROL WHEN AN INSTR IS PRESENT. WHEN TOLD OF THE TCA ENTRANCE, THE STUDENT MADE NO CORRECTIVE ACTION UNTIL SPECIFICALLY TOLD WHAT TO DO BY ATC AND INSTR. HE ALSO COMMENTED AFTER THE FLT (PARAPHRASED): 'WHEN AN INSTR IS WITH ME I GET REALLY SLOPPY AND LET THEM TELL ME WHAT TO DO.' IN ADDITION I FEEL NOW HE WAS A LITTLE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE REDUCED VISIBILITY THAT I KNEW OR EXPECTED. HENCE MINUS THE DEM (ALTHOUGH THE DME WASN'T NECESSARY IN THIS CASE) THE TCA EVEN THOUGH BOTH WERE POSSIBLE. HE ALSO DIDN'T ASK FOR HELP FROM EITHER MYSELF NOR ATC--AGAIN RELINQUISHING CONTROL OF ACFT AND WAITING FOR ME TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO. I SHOULDN'T HAVE RELINQUISHED CONTROL ON MY PART. I SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED MYSELF PIC AND IN FULL CONTROL WHEN WITH A STUDENT REGARDLESS OF STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE. AND IF FLYING WITH ANOTHER PLT ON A NO TRNING FLT IT SHOULD BE MADE VERY CLEAR WHO IS PIC. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE STUDENT'S BACKGROUND AND PRIMARILY ATTITUDE AND ALSO ESTABLISH BEFORE THE TRNING FLT EXACTLY WHAT EACH EXPECTS FROM ONE ANOTHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.