Narrative:

I was giving dual x-country instruction to a student in preparation for his private license. The student is german and has some difficulty with radio communications. He had planned a flight plan to prescott, az, from chandler, az. It was to be his first flight through the TCA and he had planned to do the builtmore transition. I was explaining to him what he should say to phoenix approach whose frequency we were listening to at the time. I was mentioning that he could not enter the TCA until he received a clearance and to be sure to read the clearance back when I looked over at the altimeter and saw that it read 4300'. I took the aircraft and dove below the TCA. We had been climbing steadily at about 500 FPM so we could not have been in the TCA more than 60 seconds, but that was long enough. ATC never said anything to us about the incursion, so I assume they did not notice. We flew the rest of the planned flight west/O further incident. Shortly thereafter, I explained what I had done, and my intent to fill out this form, and it became a learning experience for the student, but unfortunately it was a case of 'do as I say and not as I do.' by discussing the procedure for getting a clearance into the TCA, I distraction the student and myself from flying the airplane. A more thorough preflight briefing would have saved time and allowed us both to pay closer attention to flying the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT PENETRATES TCA FLOOR.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING DUAL X-COUNTRY INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT IN PREPARATION FOR HIS PRIVATE LICENSE. THE STUDENT IS GERMAN AND HAS SOME DIFFICULTY WITH RADIO COMS. HE HAD PLANNED A FLT PLAN TO PRESCOTT, AZ, FROM CHANDLER, AZ. IT WAS TO BE HIS FIRST FLT THROUGH THE TCA AND HE HAD PLANNED TO DO THE BUILTMORE TRANSITION. I WAS EXPLAINING TO HIM WHAT HE SHOULD SAY TO PHOENIX APCH WHOSE FREQ WE WERE LISTENING TO AT THE TIME. I WAS MENTIONING THAT HE COULD NOT ENTER THE TCA UNTIL HE RECEIVED A CLRNC AND TO BE SURE TO READ THE CLRNC BACK WHEN I LOOKED OVER AT THE ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT IT READ 4300'. I TOOK THE ACFT AND DOVE BELOW THE TCA. WE HAD BEEN CLBING STEADILY AT ABOUT 500 FPM SO WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE TCA MORE THAN 60 SECS, BUT THAT WAS LONG ENOUGH. ATC NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO US ABOUT THE INCURSION, SO I ASSUME THEY DID NOT NOTICE. WE FLEW THE REST OF THE PLANNED FLT W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I EXPLAINED WHAT I HAD DONE, AND MY INTENT TO FILL OUT THIS FORM, AND IT BECAME A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE STUDENT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS A CASE OF 'DO AS I SAY AND NOT AS I DO.' BY DISCUSSING THE PROC FOR GETTING A CLRNC INTO THE TCA, I DISTR THE STUDENT AND MYSELF FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE. A MORE THOROUGH PREFLT BRIEFING WOULD HAVE SAVED TIME AND ALLOWED US BOTH TO PAY CLOSER ATTN TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

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.