Small aircraft flew below 1000' AGL, flew the wrong heading and left approach control frequency with...

Attributes
ACN	163384
Time
Date	199011
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna tower : ful
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 26
ASRS Report	163384
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Orange departure from orange county airport. Which is the VFR departure from the airport, the pilot I was flying with allowed the aircraft to go below 1000' AGL while turning to a heading of east when the proper heading should have been 330 degree. The visibility was unrestricted. At this point, unsure of our exact location I contacted fullerton tower which was our destination west/O receiving a frequency change approval from coast departure. At this point fullerton located our aircraft and directed us to the airport. At the time I was giving instruction and did not keep proper tracking of our location. The person I was with was a private pilot on an annual flight review. I also failed to make sure he was maintaining an altitude of 1000' AGL. The tower informed us after landing that coast called to inform them we changed frequencys west/O approval. Even though I have flown this route before and I am familiar with the area it showed to me the importance of always tracking the flight path of the aircraft and monitoring the instruments closer while another pilot is flying the plane. Letting coast know of our situation would have helped avoid the problems encountered.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLEW BELOW 1000' AGL, FLEW THE WRONG HEADING AND LEFT APCH CTL FREQ WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ORANGE DEP FROM ORANGE COUNTY ARPT. WHICH IS THE VFR DEP FROM THE ARPT, THE PLT I WAS FLYING WITH ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GO BELOW 1000' AGL WHILE TURNING TO A HDG OF E WHEN THE PROPER HDG SHOULD HAVE BEEN 330 DEG. THE VISIBILITY WAS UNRESTRICTED. AT THIS POINT, UNSURE OF OUR EXACT LOCATION I CONTACTED FULLERTON TWR WHICH WAS OUR DEST W/O RECEIVING A FREQ CHANGE APPROVAL FROM COAST DEP. AT THIS POINT FULLERTON LOCATED OUR ACFT AND DIRECTED US TO THE ARPT. AT THE TIME I WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION AND DID NOT KEEP PROPER TRACKING OF OUR LOCATION. THE PERSON I WAS WITH WAS A PRIVATE PLT ON AN ANNUAL FLT REVIEW. I ALSO FAILED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS MAINTAINING AN ALT OF 1000' AGL. THE TWR INFORMED US AFTER LNDG THAT COAST CALLED TO INFORM THEM WE CHANGED FREQS W/O APPROVAL. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE BEFORE AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA IT SHOWED TO ME THE IMPORTANCE OF ALWAYS TRACKING THE FLT PATH OF THE ACFT AND MONITORING THE INSTRUMENTS CLOSER WHILE ANOTHER PLT IS FLYING THE PLANE. LETTING COAST KNOW OF OUR SITUATION WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID THE PROBS ENCOUNTERED.

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.

Small aircraft flew below 1000' AGL, flew the wrong heading and left approach control frequency without clearance.