Narrative:

On arrival to oak airport, after training for 2 type-rating/captain applicants, the WX was nearing minimums. The forecasts and last sequence report indicated clear, visibility 10 mi. The applicant in the seat had indicated during the training portion of flight at decision height +150' that he would miss approach when there was no reason. This had been their first flight in type and approach required descent to decision height, I elected to fly the approach. The apches went uneventful, though student was very slow in running checklists, answering radio, etc. After 3 or 4 attempts with a missed approach at decision height each time, I asked for WX at a nearby (sfo, 10 NM) airport. It was 400' overcast, visibility 2 1/2 mi. We then diverted. Fuel was not in a critical state. While on a very short cruise stage at 3000' MSL, ATC gave several vectors for downwind on the ILS. While it was briefly slow, I called company and advised of the diversion, per company operations manual. We were assigned a heading of approximately 100 degree for the ILS 28R. I could see a landing light in distance, but I couldn't tell how far out it was. I heard an ATC radio transmission at the same time company was calling. The student was using a headset different from mine that crated a deal of static when he used the intercom for the checklist, which he was running very slow. He was also answering radio and setting a common to both HSI heading bug knob on an intermittent basis. With the above ATC transmission I heard '160'. I verified with the applicant 'did he say 160?' he answered to the affirmative and I then said 'clear right' for a turn from 100 degree to 160 degree approximately base leg. The 'clear right' call is company required for midair collision avoidance and it had been mentioned to applicant throughout training. Approximately 10 second later ATC gave an immediate turn to 100 degree or 040 degree heading. I knew then something was wrong. An aircraft was given a level off by ATC. The second applicant in jumpseat said the landing lights I saw earlier appeared at least 500' above us. ATC said he was same altitude and 2 1/2 mi. During this cruise portion we were in VMC. The problem I think was that I didn't say 'heading 160 degree'. The student thought I meant 'speed 160 KTS'. I also feel the headsets were a contributing factor that cluttered receptions of radio quality. The unfamiliarity of area for student, the first flight in type, 4 or 5 apches to 2 different airports didn't make it any easier after approximately 4.5 hours of flight training already. Though I was familiar with all the above, I maybe should have gone elsewhere.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT TRACK HEADING DEVIATION. ACFT WAS TRANS BAY FROM OAK TO SFO AT THE COMPLETION OF A TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: ON ARR TO OAK ARPT, AFTER TRAINING FOR 2 TYPE-RATING/CAPT APPLICANTS, THE WX WAS NEARING MINIMUMS. THE FORECASTS AND LAST SEQUENCE REPORT INDICATED CLEAR, VISIBILITY 10 MI. THE APPLICANT IN THE SEAT HAD INDICATED DURING THE TRAINING PORTION OF FLT AT DECISION HEIGHT +150' THAT HE WOULD MISS APCH WHEN THERE WAS NO REASON. THIS HAD BEEN THEIR FIRST FLT IN TYPE AND APCH REQUIRED DSCNT TO DECISION HEIGHT, I ELECTED TO FLY THE APCH. THE APCHES WENT UNEVENTFUL, THOUGH STUDENT WAS VERY SLOW IN RUNNING CHECKLISTS, ANSWERING RADIO, ETC. AFTER 3 OR 4 ATTEMPTS WITH A MISSED APCH AT DECISION HEIGHT EACH TIME, I ASKED FOR WX AT A NEARBY (SFO, 10 NM) ARPT. IT WAS 400' OVCST, VISIBILITY 2 1/2 MI. WE THEN DIVERTED. FUEL WAS NOT IN A CRITICAL STATE. WHILE ON A VERY SHORT CRUISE STAGE AT 3000' MSL, ATC GAVE SEVERAL VECTORS FOR DOWNWIND ON THE ILS. WHILE IT WAS BRIEFLY SLOW, I CALLED COMPANY AND ADVISED OF THE DIVERSION, PER COMPANY OPS MANUAL. WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG OF APPROX 100 DEG FOR THE ILS 28R. I COULD SEE A LNDG LIGHT IN DISTANCE, BUT I COULDN'T TELL HOW FAR OUT IT WAS. I HEARD AN ATC RADIO XMISSION AT THE SAME TIME COMPANY WAS CALLING. THE STUDENT WAS USING A HEADSET DIFFERENT FROM MINE THAT CRATED A DEAL OF STATIC WHEN HE USED THE INTERCOM FOR THE CHECKLIST, WHICH HE WAS RUNNING VERY SLOW. HE WAS ALSO ANSWERING RADIO AND SETTING A COMMON TO BOTH HSI HDG BUG KNOB ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. WITH THE ABOVE ATC XMISSION I HEARD '160'. I VERIFIED WITH THE APPLICANT 'DID HE SAY 160?' HE ANSWERED TO THE AFFIRMATIVE AND I THEN SAID 'CLEAR RIGHT' FOR A TURN FROM 100 DEG TO 160 DEG APPROX BASE LEG. THE 'CLEAR RIGHT' CALL IS COMPANY REQUIRED FOR MIDAIR COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND IT HAD BEEN MENTIONED TO APPLICANT THROUGHOUT TRAINING. APPROX 10 SEC LATER ATC GAVE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 100 DEG OR 040 DEG HDG. I KNEW THEN SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AN ACFT WAS GIVEN A LEVEL OFF BY ATC. THE SECOND APPLICANT IN JUMPSEAT SAID THE LNDG LIGHTS I SAW EARLIER APPEARED AT LEAST 500' ABOVE US. ATC SAID HE WAS SAME ALT AND 2 1/2 MI. DURING THIS CRUISE PORTION WE WERE IN VMC. THE PROBLEM I THINK WAS THAT I DIDN'T SAY 'HEADING 160 DEG'. THE STUDENT THOUGHT I MEANT 'SPEED 160 KTS'. I ALSO FEEL THE HEADSETS WERE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT CLUTTERED RECEPTIONS OF RADIO QUALITY. THE UNFAMILIARITY OF AREA FOR STUDENT, THE FIRST FLT IN TYPE, 4 OR 5 APCHES TO 2 DIFFERENT ARPTS DIDN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER AFTER APPROX 4.5 HRS OF FLT TRAINING ALREADY. THOUGH I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE ABOVE, I MAYBE SHOULD HAVE GONE ELSEWHERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.