Narrative:

Commercial student was assigned to me for 6.0 hour AOPA INS refresher course. Student was out of currency and requested far 61 INS currency check. First deviation was on departure from hvn when ny approach control requested our altitude. In VFR we had climbed above assigned 2000' before I was able to assertain the deviation. Later on during another flight that day several altitude deviations were observed and I cautioned the student each time rather severely. The altimeter in use was type with a single pointer for hundreds of feet and a small window which displayed thousands of feet. In this aircraft, the owner had fastened an altitude reminder device to the INS knobs, which from my position (copilot's side) blanked out the window indicating the thousand ft altitudes, west/O my leaning far to the left. Complicating the problem was moderate turbulence and a single yoke which prevented me from taking control or initiating immediate corrective action when I observed altitude deviations beginning to take place. The commercial pilot-student was very rusty and required close supervision under the hood and on actual instruments. He had had previous considerable high performance multi-engine experience under IMC, but was unable to perform all maneuvers specified in the INS rating practical test stands west/O assistance. For this reason and his altitude deviations, I denied his request for an INS competency check. The altimeter in use in this aircraft is difficult to scan from the right seat. The thousand ft #south are quite small and can easily be omitted in rapid x-chk. Single yoke should not be allowed when PF is out of currency and cannot act as PIC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR GIVING INSTRUMENT CURRENCY CHECK HAS ALT DEVIATION SEVERAL TIMES.

Narrative: COMMERCIAL STUDENT WAS ASSIGNED TO ME FOR 6.0 HR AOPA INS REFRESHER COURSE. STUDENT WAS OUT OF CURRENCY AND REQUESTED FAR 61 INS CURRENCY CHK. FIRST DEVIATION WAS ON DEP FROM HVN WHEN NY APCH CTL REQUESTED OUR ALT. IN VFR WE HAD CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED 2000' BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO ASSERTAIN THE DEVIATION. LATER ON DURING ANOTHER FLT THAT DAY SEVERAL ALT DEVIATIONS WERE OBSERVED AND I CAUTIONED THE STUDENT EACH TIME RATHER SEVERELY. THE ALTIMETER IN USE WAS TYPE WITH A SINGLE POINTER FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET AND A SMALL WINDOW WHICH DISPLAYED THOUSANDS OF FEET. IN THIS ACFT, THE OWNER HAD FASTENED AN ALT REMINDER DEVICE TO THE INS KNOBS, WHICH FROM MY POS (COPLT'S SIDE) BLANKED OUT THE WINDOW INDICATING THE THOUSAND FT ALTS, W/O MY LEANING FAR TO THE LEFT. COMPLICATING THE PROB WAS MODERATE TURB AND A SINGLE YOKE WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM TAKING CTL OR INITIATING IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION WHEN I OBSERVED ALT DEVIATIONS BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE. THE COMMERCIAL PLT-STUDENT WAS VERY RUSTY AND REQUIRED CLOSE SUPERVISION UNDER THE HOOD AND ON ACTUAL INSTRUMENTS. HE HAD HAD PREVIOUS CONSIDERABLE HIGH PERFORMANCE MULTI-ENG EXPERIENCE UNDER IMC, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM ALL MANEUVERS SPECIFIED IN THE INS RATING PRACTICAL TEST STANDS W/O ASSISTANCE. FOR THIS REASON AND HIS ALT DEVIATIONS, I DENIED HIS REQUEST FOR AN INS COMPETENCY CHK. THE ALTIMETER IN USE IN THIS ACFT IS DIFFICULT TO SCAN FROM THE RIGHT SEAT. THE THOUSAND FT #S ARE QUITE SMALL AND CAN EASILY BE OMITTED IN RAPID X-CHK. SINGLE YOKE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED WHEN PF IS OUT OF CURRENCY AND CANNOT ACT AS PIC.

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.