Narrative:

I am an instrument flight instructor, was instrument current and had current IFR charts with me at the time of this occurrence. I was giving dual instruction to another flight instructor who flew in the left seat. We had flown from west tx, to lit, VFR on top of a cloud layer expecting, according to forecasts, scattered to broken clouds over little rock. About 20-30 NM west of little rock it became apparent that the clouds were not breaking as forecast. I contacted little rock approach control and asked for an IFR clearance to descend through the cloud layer. Approach promptly gave us a clearance and vectors to the ILS 22R approach. Further clearance instructed us to maintain (I believe) 2000 ft until we were established on the localizer. I was attempting to talk to the other pilot, who was unfamiliar with the aircraft, through the procedure. In the turn to intercept the localizer we broke out the bottom of the cloud layer. We flew through the 22R localizer to a position which approximated a final approach to runway 22L. We were correcting back to the 22R localizer when approach control queried as to our localizer frequency setting and orientation. Meanwhile we had continued to descend to about 1500 ft, well below the GS, without actually having established ourselves on the localizer. We did finally establish a stabilized visual approach well before actually reaching the runway. Some factors which I believe contributed to this occurrence: 1) my failure to remember that the other pilot was unfamiliar with the aircraft. This unfamiliarity included airspds and power settings appropriate for intercepting and flying the approach. 2) my failure to take over operation of the aircraft when it became obvious that the other pilot was getting into difficulty in spite of my attempts to help her through the process. This situation has made it very clear to me once again, that as flight instructor on a flight, I am also PIC and as such have the right and responsibility to maintain control of the aircraft at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT FLIES THROUGH LOC AND BELOW ASSIGNED ALT ON ILS APCH.

Narrative: I AM AN INST FLT INSTRUCTOR, WAS INST CURRENT AND HAD CURRENT IFR CHARTS WITH ME AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE. I WAS GIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION TO ANOTHER FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO FLEW IN THE L SEAT. WE HAD FLOWN FROM W TX, TO LIT, VFR ON TOP OF A CLOUD LAYER EXPECTING, ACCORDING TO FORECASTS, SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS OVER LITTLE ROCK. ABOUT 20-30 NM W OF LITTLE ROCK IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CLOUDS WERE NOT BREAKING AS FORECAST. I CONTACTED LITTLE ROCK APCH CTL AND ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO DSND THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER. APCH PROMPTLY GAVE US A CLRNC AND VECTORS TO THE ILS 22R APCH. FURTHER CLRNC INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN (I BELIEVE) 2000 FT UNTIL WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TALK TO THE OTHER PLT, WHO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT, THROUGH THE PROC. IN THE TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC WE BROKE OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUD LAYER. WE FLEW THROUGH THE 22R LOC TO A POS WHICH APPROXIMATED A FINAL APCH TO RWY 22L. WE WERE CORRECTING BACK TO THE 22R LOC WHEN APCH CTL QUERIED AS TO OUR LOC FREQ SETTING AND ORIENTATION. MEANWHILE WE HAD CONTINUED TO DSND TO ABOUT 1500 FT, WELL BELOW THE GS, WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING ESTABLISHED OURSELVES ON THE LOC. WE DID FINALLY ESTABLISH A STABILIZED VISUAL APCH WELL BEFORE ACTUALLY REACHING THE RWY. SOME FACTORS WHICH I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE: 1) MY FAILURE TO REMEMBER THAT THE OTHER PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT. THIS UNFAMILIARITY INCLUDED AIRSPDS AND PWR SETTINGS APPROPRIATE FOR INTERCEPTING AND FLYING THE APCH. 2) MY FAILURE TO TAKE OVER OP OF THE ACFT WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE OTHER PLT WAS GETTING INTO DIFFICULTY IN SPITE OF MY ATTEMPTS TO HELP HER THROUGH THE PROCESS. THIS SITUATION HAS MADE IT VERY CLR TO ME ONCE AGAIN, THAT AS FLT INSTRUCTOR ON A FLT, I AM ALSO PIC AND AS SUCH HAVE THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN CTL OF THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES.

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.