GA small aircraft on a training flight altitude heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	148221
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna tower : sna
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	148221
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

We were at 3000' outside of snake on a heading of 090 degrees (vectors for the 19R ILS). The controller (according to my student) gave us a heading of 180 degrees, 3000' until established, cleared for the approach. I only heard '180, 3000' because intermittently, my headset/intercom was breaking up. Our G/south was inoperative as we had advised coast approach, so we shot the localizer approach. After snake intersection, we were established on the localizer and descended to 2600'. At lemon (FAF) we began our time and our descent. Coast approach was extremely busy and more people were stepping on each other than communicating. Passing through 2000' MSL we heard coast partially say to us, 'turn right heading 270 and climb to,' and he was stepped on by another aircraft. We figured we'd better follow instructions and broke off the localizer and maintained 2000' as we were unsure if or what to climb to. Because of frequency saturation, we were unable to reach coast for at least 30 seconds. When we finally did, we asked if we could stay visibility and contact orange county tower (we had the airport in sight and it was VFR). Due to the many people on frequency, we were unsure of boast's reply, but since we couldn't get through we thought it would be better to talk to someone than no one, so we called sna tower. They seemed a little surprised to hear us, but gave us headings to fly and ultimately, landing clearance. Ground control then instructed us to call the tower by phone when we were able. (Most of this we had trouble deciphering due to the intercom problem.) contributing factors: the communications problems we experienced were our intercom problem, saturation of coast approach frequency, people not listening before they talk and landline between coast and orange county tower not used due to mixup in communications. Corrective actions: even though our intercom problem was discovered after takeoff, we should make sure our communication equipment is in good shape before flight if possible. Coast frequency shouldn't be allowed to become so saturated by limiting IFR releases or obtaining more controllers. Aircraft should listen before transmitting on frequency. Coast should alert the tower just in case we have to change frequencys because of communication problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON A TRAINING FLT ALT HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE WERE AT 3000' OUTSIDE OF SNAKE ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS (VECTORS FOR THE 19R ILS). THE CTLR (ACCORDING TO MY STUDENT) GAVE US A HDG OF 180 DEGS, 3000' UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED FOR THE APCH. I ONLY HEARD '180, 3000' BECAUSE INTERMITTENTLY, MY HEADSET/INTERCOM WAS BREAKING UP. OUR G/S WAS INOP AS WE HAD ADVISED COAST APCH, SO WE SHOT THE LOC APCH. AFTER SNAKE INTXN, WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND DSNDED TO 2600'. AT LEMON (FAF) WE BEGAN OUR TIME AND OUR DSNT. COAST APCH WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND MORE PEOPLE WERE STEPPING ON EACH OTHER THAN COMMUNICATING. PASSING THROUGH 2000' MSL WE HEARD COAST PARTIALLY SAY TO US, 'TURN RIGHT HDG 270 AND CLB TO,' AND HE WAS STEPPED ON BY ANOTHER ACFT. WE FIGURED WE'D BETTER FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND BROKE OFF THE LOC AND MAINTAINED 2000' AS WE WERE UNSURE IF OR WHAT TO CLB TO. BECAUSE OF FREQ SATURATION, WE WERE UNABLE TO REACH COAST FOR AT LEAST 30 SECS. WHEN WE FINALLY DID, WE ASKED IF WE COULD STAY VIS AND CONTACT ORANGE COUNTY TWR (WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND IT WAS VFR). DUE TO THE MANY PEOPLE ON FREQ, WE WERE UNSURE OF BOAST'S REPLY, BUT SINCE WE COULDN'T GET THROUGH WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO TALK TO SOMEONE THAN NO ONE, SO WE CALLED SNA TWR. THEY SEEMED A LITTLE SURPRISED TO HEAR US, BUT GAVE US HDGS TO FLY AND ULTIMATELY, LNDG CLRNC. GND CTL THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CALL THE TWR BY PHONE WHEN WE WERE ABLE. (MOST OF THIS WE HAD TROUBLE DECIPHERING DUE TO THE INTERCOM PROB.) CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE COMS PROBS WE EXPERIENCED WERE OUR INTERCOM PROB, SATURATION OF COAST APCH FREQ, PEOPLE NOT LISTENING BEFORE THEY TALK AND LANDLINE BTWN COAST AND ORANGE COUNTY TWR NOT USED DUE TO MIXUP IN COMS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: EVEN THOUGH OUR INTERCOM PROB WAS DISCOVERED AFTER TKOF, WE SHOULD MAKE SURE OUR COM EQUIP IS IN GOOD SHAPE BEFORE FLT IF POSSIBLE. COAST FREQ SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO BECOME SO SATURATED BY LIMITING IFR RELEASES OR OBTAINING MORE CTLRS. ACFT SHOULD LISTEN BEFORE XMITTING ON FREQ. COAST SHOULD ALERT THE TWR JUST IN CASE WE HAVE TO CHANGE FREQS BECAUSE OF COM PROBS.

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.