Narrative:

The intent of this flight was as a true trial of the student's skills. The student in this case has been in instrument training for about 2 yrs, off and on. I began flying with the student recently and had accumulated about 6-8 hours of flight time. The flight began in an aircraft that we had not previously trained in the small aircraft, but the student had some prior experience in this particular aircraft. ATC was slower than usual in providing the clearance, and after having waited for 10-15 mins with the engine running, it was straight forward and the student copied and repeated back the clearance adequately. Takeoff and climb to 6000' were normal. During the briefing before departure, I asked the student to select an approach at our intended destination and decide if he wanted vectors or the full approach. Student chose a full ILS with procedure turn. Everything went downwind from here. 1) I allowed the student to accept a clearance for an ILS when the aircraft didn't possess proper equipment (no DME). I waited for him to recognize that the approach could not be made west/O this equipment. 2) after crossing the VOR the student turned outbnd, but only paralleled the course, never correcting to intercept the localizer. 3) the student did not set-up the ILS frequency until after turning outbnd. The student had been cleared for the approach approximately 15 mi before reaching the fix. 4) localizer was poorly intercepted and G/south needle waved at the student (and me) throughout the approach. 5) winds were from the northeast, further shortening the outbnd leg and quickening the pace back to the airport. 6) continued approach to approximately 1600' MSL. 7) the crowning glory of this mess was an air carrier aircraft passing that approach contacted to give us a call on CTAF. We had passed over the airport at 2500' MSL and continued our descent until radar coverage was lost due to low altitude. Needless to say, the controller was very concerned. Only the fact that the airport is located in a rural area with few obstructions am I writing this today. Moral to the story: if the student is behind the airplane, as the instrument, don't line up behind the student--and never continue if the student doesn't recognize that the approach is not possible to complete.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED STUDENT PLT TO MAKE AN APCH WITHOUT FULL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY.

Narrative: THE INTENT OF THIS FLT WAS AS A TRUE TRIAL OF THE STUDENT'S SKILLS. THE STUDENT IN THIS CASE HAS BEEN IN INSTRUMENT TRNING FOR ABOUT 2 YRS, OFF AND ON. I BEGAN FLYING WITH THE STUDENT RECENTLY AND HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 6-8 HRS OF FLT TIME. THE FLT BEGAN IN AN ACFT THAT WE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY TRAINED IN THE SMA, BUT THE STUDENT HAD SOME PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. ATC WAS SLOWER THAN USUAL IN PROVIDING THE CLRNC, AND AFTER HAVING WAITED FOR 10-15 MINS WITH THE ENG RUNNING, IT WAS STRAIGHT FORWARD AND THE STUDENT COPIED AND REPEATED BACK THE CLRNC ADEQUATELY. TKOF AND CLB TO 6000' WERE NORMAL. DURING THE BRIEFING BEFORE DEP, I ASKED THE STUDENT TO SELECT AN APCH AT OUR INTENDED DEST AND DECIDE IF HE WANTED VECTORS OR THE FULL APCH. STUDENT CHOSE A FULL ILS WITH PROC TURN. EVERYTHING WENT DOWNWIND FROM HERE. 1) I ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO ACCEPT A CLRNC FOR AN ILS WHEN THE ACFT DIDN'T POSSESS PROPER EQUIP (NO DME). I WAITED FOR HIM TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE APCH COULD NOT BE MADE W/O THIS EQUIP. 2) AFTER XING THE VOR THE STUDENT TURNED OUTBND, BUT ONLY PARALLELED THE COURSE, NEVER CORRECTING TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. 3) THE STUDENT DID NOT SET-UP THE ILS FREQ UNTIL AFTER TURNING OUTBND. THE STUDENT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH APPROX 15 MI BEFORE REACHING THE FIX. 4) LOC WAS POORLY INTERCEPTED AND G/S NEEDLE WAVED AT THE STUDENT (AND ME) THROUGHOUT THE APCH. 5) WINDS WERE FROM THE NE, FURTHER SHORTENING THE OUTBND LEG AND QUICKENING THE PACE BACK TO THE ARPT. 6) CONTINUED APCH TO APPROX 1600' MSL. 7) THE CROWNING GLORY OF THIS MESS WAS AN ACR ACFT PASSING THAT APCH CONTACTED TO GIVE US A CALL ON CTAF. WE HAD PASSED OVER THE ARPT AT 2500' MSL AND CONTINUED OUR DSCNT UNTIL RADAR COVERAGE WAS LOST DUE TO LOW ALT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE CTLR WAS VERY CONCERNED. ONLY THE FACT THAT THE ARPT IS LOCATED IN A RURAL AREA WITH FEW OBSTRUCTIONS AM I WRITING THIS TODAY. MORAL TO THE STORY: IF THE STUDENT IS BEHIND THE AIRPLANE, AS THE INSTR, DON'T LINE UP BEHIND THE STUDENT--AND NEVER CONTINUE IF THE STUDENT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THAT THE APCH IS NOT POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE.

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.