Narrative:

We were completing the VOR 11R approach to vrb with clearance to circle to land on runway 22. All during the flight the student seemed to be behind the airplane and I was correcting him. In our course we have a particular standardization for when to lower the landing gear. The student did not do it correctly and so I had to tell him the right way, while helping him make the proper corrections -- so maybe I got behind also. When we reached the missed approach point I had the student take off the hood and go visual and told him to turn right (which would have been a downwind to runway 4). When the tower asked what we were doing I got on the air and said downwind to runway 22. The tower said he was a little confused. Then I realized what happened and took the airplane and turned it back to a downwind for runway 22. We completed the landing. Before the approach we had practiced procedures at nearby st. Lucie county international airport at fort pierce, fl. We had told the tower we wanted to put our clearance to vero beach on request. When we were told to contact miami center we were given a different transponder code and told to turn south. Then after several mins we were vectored west, and asked if we had information golf at vero beach, which was calling for the VOR DME 29L approach, circle to land to runway 22. The west departure continued until I asked ATC if these were vectors to the VOR 11R approach. He said they were, and then gave us a clearance to turn right, heading 330. Since our program's procedures call for the student to prepare to shoot the advertised approach on the ATIS, we had to hustle to reconfigure the navs, which would not have been difficult for me, with experience, but was tough for the student, especially when I had to keep him from making errors because we were on a clearance. I don't think the student completely knew where he was, so I helped him. I had done the same approach many times before, but turning to a right downwind for runway 4. So maybe out of force of habit I had him turn that way. This episode shows that one should not become too comfortable with routine. Expect the unexpected and take time to think. Also it shows how strong primacy can be and how the instructor pilot, in command, can make mistakes. 1 other event that made this return leg strange: usually ATC reads off a complete clearance to us, even when picking it up in flight. It did not happen this flight and until I asked what was happening I really did not know what my clearance was...or even if I had one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV IN TFC PATTERN PROC AFTER IAP VOR APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE COMPLETING THE VOR 11R APCH TO VRB WITH CLRNC TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 22. ALL DURING THE FLT THE STUDENT SEEMED TO BE BEHIND THE AIRPLANE AND I WAS CORRECTING HIM. IN OUR COURSE WE HAVE A PARTICULAR STANDARDIZATION FOR WHEN TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR. THE STUDENT DID NOT DO IT CORRECTLY AND SO I HAD TO TELL HIM THE RIGHT WAY, WHILE HELPING HIM MAKE THE PROPER CORRECTIONS -- SO MAYBE I GOT BEHIND ALSO. WHEN WE REACHED THE MISSED APCH POINT I HAD THE STUDENT TAKE OFF THE HOOD AND GO VISUAL AND TOLD HIM TO TURN R (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A DOWNWIND TO RWY 4). WHEN THE TWR ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING I GOT ON THE AIR AND SAID DOWNWIND TO RWY 22. THE TWR SAID HE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED. THEN I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED AND TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND TURNED IT BACK TO A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. WE COMPLETED THE LNDG. BEFORE THE APCH WE HAD PRACTICED PROCS AT NEARBY ST. LUCIE COUNTY INTL ARPT AT FORT PIERCE, FL. WE HAD TOLD THE TWR WE WANTED TO PUT OUR CLRNC TO VERO BEACH ON REQUEST. WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT MIAMI CTR WE WERE GIVEN A DIFFERENT TRANSPONDER CODE AND TOLD TO TURN S. THEN AFTER SEVERAL MINS WE WERE VECTORED W, AND ASKED IF WE HAD INFO GOLF AT VERO BEACH, WHICH WAS CALLING FOR THE VOR DME 29L APCH, CIRCLE TO LAND TO RWY 22. THE W DEP CONTINUED UNTIL I ASKED ATC IF THESE WERE VECTORS TO THE VOR 11R APCH. HE SAID THEY WERE, AND THEN GAVE US A CLRNC TO TURN R, HDG 330. SINCE OUR PROGRAM'S PROCS CALL FOR THE STUDENT TO PREPARE TO SHOOT THE ADVERTISED APCH ON THE ATIS, WE HAD TO HUSTLE TO RECONFIGURE THE NAVS, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR ME, WITH EXPERIENCE, BUT WAS TOUGH FOR THE STUDENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD TO KEEP HIM FROM MAKING ERRORS BECAUSE WE WERE ON A CLRNC. I DON'T THINK THE STUDENT COMPLETELY KNEW WHERE HE WAS, SO I HELPED HIM. I HAD DONE THE SAME APCH MANY TIMES BEFORE, BUT TURNING TO A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. SO MAYBE OUT OF FORCE OF HABIT I HAD HIM TURN THAT WAY. THIS EPISODE SHOWS THAT ONE SHOULD NOT BECOME TOO COMFORTABLE WITH ROUTINE. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED AND TAKE TIME TO THINK. ALSO IT SHOWS HOW STRONG PRIMACY CAN BE AND HOW THE INSTRUCTOR PLT, IN COMMAND, CAN MAKE MISTAKES. 1 OTHER EVENT THAT MADE THIS RETURN LEG STRANGE: USUALLY ATC READS OFF A COMPLETE CLRNC TO US, EVEN WHEN PICKING IT UP IN FLT. IT DID NOT HAPPEN THIS FLT AND UNTIL I ASKED WHAT WAS HAPPENING I REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT MY CLRNC WAS...OR EVEN IF I HAD ONE.

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.