Narrative:

I was conducting a final INS stage check. It was not long into our flight that I realized this student was behind the aircraft. He was having basic INS problems: basic attitudes, VOR orientation and tracking. We then received word from orl approach that our transponder was not working. Orl wanted us to return to sfb or cancel IFR. We were solid IMC. Orl gave us a right turn the long way around to 270 degrees. Upon rollout orl gave us a heading of something like 340 degrees and told us to contact daytona approach. Daytona informed us that they were working a primary target only, cleared us direct the VOR and for the approach. He had not followed any procedure for setting up inbound or outbnd radials, had not tuned or idented any navaids. Approach told us they had inbound traffic and requested that we hold on the 336 degree right and to expect an approach in, '3-5 mins.' the student had crossed the fix on an 010 degree heading and was already 1 mi north. He forgot to retune the obs and wound up on an east heading. At this point I took over the aircraft and established it in the hold. He did not hold a good holding pattern, never once establishing himself on the 336 degree right inbound. On the approach, he allowed the wind to blow him 8-10 degrees off course inbound and outbnd. Did not descent from his holding altitude until told to do so by approach. He wanted to go missed before crossing the fix. On the return to sfb, he was unable to hold a bearing to the NDB. Student needed a no gyro approach. Predictably, the student allowed that northwest wind to blow him south of course. Orl approach called asking if we wanted vectors. I replied, 'no,' and took the aircraft. I knew we were outbnd far enough for the procedure turn. Inbound on the procedure turn I became disoriented (the ADF did not seem to be responding properly) and was having a tough time intercepting my course, but I continued my descent. We broke out just above minimums (640) but did not have the airport in sight. However, at breakout, while attempting to get our bearing in relation with the airport, I allowed a descent below minimums. We continued our approach, found the airport with plenty of room to spare and made a successful circle to land on runway 36. Nothing else was said to me from the tower besides the usual, '...left next taxiway, contact ground point six.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINING FLT IN IMC CONDITIONS. INSTRUCTOR TAKES OVER AND DESCENDS BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A FINAL INS STAGE CHK. IT WAS NOT LONG INTO OUR FLT THAT I REALIZED THIS STUDENT WAS BEHIND THE ACFT. HE WAS HAVING BASIC INS PROBS: BASIC ATTITUDES, VOR ORIENTATION AND TRACKING. WE THEN RECEIVED WORD FROM ORL APCH THAT OUR XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING. ORL WANTED US TO RETURN TO SFB OR CANCEL IFR. WE WERE SOLID IMC. ORL GAVE US A RIGHT TURN THE LONG WAY AROUND TO 270 DEGS. UPON ROLLOUT ORL GAVE US A HDG OF SOMETHING LIKE 340 DEGS AND TOLD US TO CONTACT DAYTONA APCH. DAYTONA INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE WORKING A PRIMARY TARGET ONLY, CLRED US DIRECT THE VOR AND FOR THE APCH. HE HAD NOT FOLLOWED ANY PROC FOR SETTING UP INBND OR OUTBND RADIALS, HAD NOT TUNED OR IDENTED ANY NAVAIDS. APCH TOLD US THEY HAD INBND TFC AND REQUESTED THAT WE HOLD ON THE 336 DEG R AND TO EXPECT AN APCH IN, '3-5 MINS.' THE STUDENT HAD CROSSED THE FIX ON AN 010 DEG HDG AND WAS ALREADY 1 MI N. HE FORGOT TO RETUNE THE OBS AND WOUND UP ON AN E HDG. AT THIS POINT I TOOK OVER THE ACFT AND ESTABLISHED IT IN THE HOLD. HE DID NOT HOLD A GOOD HOLDING PATTERN, NEVER ONCE ESTABLISHING HIMSELF ON THE 336 DEG R INBND. ON THE APCH, HE ALLOWED THE WIND TO BLOW HIM 8-10 DEGS OFF COURSE INBND AND OUTBND. DID NOT DSNT FROM HIS HOLDING ALT UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO BY APCH. HE WANTED TO GO MISSED BEFORE XING THE FIX. ON THE RETURN TO SFB, HE WAS UNABLE TO HOLD A BEARING TO THE NDB. STUDENT NEEDED A NO GYRO APCH. PREDICTABLY, THE STUDENT ALLOWED THAT NW WIND TO BLOW HIM S OF COURSE. ORL APCH CALLED ASKING IF WE WANTED VECTORS. I REPLIED, 'NO,' AND TOOK THE ACFT. I KNEW WE WERE OUTBND FAR ENOUGH FOR THE PROC TURN. INBND ON THE PROC TURN I BECAME DISORIENTED (THE ADF DID NOT SEEM TO BE RESPONDING PROPERLY) AND WAS HAVING A TOUGH TIME INTERCEPTING MY COURSE, BUT I CONTINUED MY DSNT. WE BROKE OUT JUST ABOVE MINIMUMS (640) BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HOWEVER, AT BREAKOUT, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUR BEARING IN RELATION WITH THE ARPT, I ALLOWED A DSNT BELOW MINIMUMS. WE CONTINUED OUR APCH, FOUND THE ARPT WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO SPARE AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 36. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID TO ME FROM THE TWR BESIDES THE USUAL, '...LEFT NEXT TXWY, CONTACT GND POINT SIX.'

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.