Narrative:

I was instructing a 3 hour primary student in the practice area. We were practicing setting up a landing pattern with a road as imaginary runway. My intent was for him to descend to no lower than 1000 ft AGL, the to 'go around' and climb. That would have left us plenty of altitude 'cushion,' since we were in a rural area. 2 things happened that I didn't anticipate. One was that my student's reactions were much slower than I was expecting. The other was that by the time he began to level off, we were encroaching on a village, crossing over the high school parking lot (which was empty -- it was fri evening). At about 850 ft AGL I took over the controls, banked away from the village, and when about 1/2 mi away added power to climb. There was never any serious question of safety. I made 2 mistakes. I should have been more aware of our position near the village (whose residents have a history of complaints about low flying aircraft!) and I should have taken the controls rather than allow an altitude violation. As a CFI, most of my instructing has been BFR's. I did not appreciate how slowly a low time student would respond, not that he would have no idea how low to go. Perhaps CFI training should stress building in much greater margins for low time students during training. And for low time CFI's!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI WITH A LOW TIME STUDENT LET THE STUDENT DSND BELOW 1000 AGL OVER A VILLAGE.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTING A 3 HR PRIMARY STUDENT IN THE PRACTICE AREA. WE WERE PRACTICING SETTING UP A LNDG PATTERN WITH A ROAD AS IMAGINARY RWY. MY INTENT WAS FOR HIM TO DSND TO NO LOWER THAN 1000 FT AGL, THE TO 'GAR' AND CLB. THAT WOULD HAVE LEFT US PLENTY OF ALT 'CUSHION,' SINCE WE WERE IN A RURAL AREA. 2 THINGS HAPPENED THAT I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE. ONE WAS THAT MY STUDENT'S REACTIONS WERE MUCH SLOWER THAN I WAS EXPECTING. THE OTHER WAS THAT BY THE TIME HE BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF, WE WERE ENCROACHING ON A VILLAGE, XING OVER THE HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT (WHICH WAS EMPTY -- IT WAS FRI EVENING). AT ABOUT 850 FT AGL I TOOK OVER THE CTLS, BANKED AWAY FROM THE VILLAGE, AND WHEN ABOUT 1/2 MI AWAY ADDED PWR TO CLB. THERE WAS NEVER ANY SERIOUS QUESTION OF SAFETY. I MADE 2 MISTAKES. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF OUR POS NEAR THE VILLAGE (WHOSE RESIDENTS HAVE A HISTORY OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT LOW FLYING ACFT!) AND I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS RATHER THAN ALLOW AN ALT VIOLATION. AS A CFI, MOST OF MY INSTRUCTING HAS BEEN BFR'S. I DID NOT APPRECIATE HOW SLOWLY A LOW TIME STUDENT WOULD RESPOND, NOT THAT HE WOULD HAVE NO IDEA HOW LOW TO GO. PERHAPS CFI TRAINING SHOULD STRESS BUILDING IN MUCH GREATER MARGINS FOR LOW TIME STUDENTS DURING TRAINING. AND FOR LOW TIME CFI'S!

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.