Altitude deviation by a multi-engine trainee.

Attributes
ACN	216413
Time
Date	199207
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3950
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mcc artcc : rktt
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 133 flight time total : 7612 flight time type : 257
ASRS Report	216413
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This flight was a trainee's multi-engine course progress check. The trainee controled the airplane in the left seat and I took the right seat as the check pilot. After completing some VFR touch and goes we departed smf to napa county airport VFR. When we contacted sac departure control with our request to climb to 6500 ft VFR, the controller gave us a clearance to maintain 3500 ft due to traffic coming toward us from the 10 O'clock position at 4000 ft. My trainee acknowledged to maintain 3500 ft. The controller also gave another aircraft some traffic information that was spoken very fast. The trainee did not understand it very well. Thinking the information was for him he requested to 'say again' expecting the controller to say it a little slower, which he did not. The trainee answered with 'aircraft number roger,' without understanding the instructions. This caused him to become temporarily distraction by ATC and he was not focusing on his altitude. He was lowering the pitch attitude to level off at 3500 ft, but I realized the airplane was still slowly gaining altitude. At this time the trainee in the back seat noticed the 10 O'clock traffic medium large transport aircraft now at our 8 O'clock position about 2-3 mi away. I could not see the traffic from my seat so I continued to look for the traffic to confirm his position. While I was looking for the traffic I was not scanning the altimeter and suddenly I noticed our airplane had climbed to 3950 ft! At the same time the controller advised us of our altitude deviation. We were instructed to telephone ATC regarding our altitude deviation upon landing at our destination. My reflection: once I realized we were deviating from the assigned altitude I did not firmly advise the trainee to maintain 3500 ft. I should have taken over control of the airplane and leveled off appropriately. I paid too much attention to the outside traffic and therefore was too late in realizing our altitude deviation, and I had a little too much confidence in the trainee's skill.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV BY A MULTI-ENG TRAINEE.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS A TRAINEE'S MULTI-ENG COURSE PROGRESS CHK. THE TRAINEE CTLED THE AIRPLANE IN THE L SEAT AND I TOOK THE R SEAT AS THE CHK PLT. AFTER COMPLETING SOME VFR TOUCH AND GOES WE DEPARTED SMF TO NAPA COUNTY ARPT VFR. WHEN WE CONTACTED SAC DEP CTL WITH OUR REQUEST TO CLB TO 6500 FT VFR, THE CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT DUE TO TFC COMING TOWARD US FROM THE 10 O'CLOCK POS AT 4000 FT. MY TRAINEE ACKNOWLEDGED TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT. THE CTLR ALSO GAVE ANOTHER ACFT SOME TFC INFO THAT WAS SPOKEN VERY FAST. THE TRAINEE DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT VERY WELL. THINKING THE INFO WAS FOR HIM HE REQUESTED TO 'SAY AGAIN' EXPECTING THE CTLR TO SAY IT A LITTLE SLOWER, WHICH HE DID NOT. THE TRAINEE ANSWERED WITH 'ACFT NUMBER ROGER,' WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE INSTRUCTIONS. THIS CAUSED HIM TO BECOME TEMPORARILY DISTR BY ATC AND HE WAS NOT FOCUSING ON HIS ALT. HE WAS LOWERING THE PITCH ATTITUDE TO LEVEL OFF AT 3500 FT, BUT I REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL SLOWLY GAINING ALT. AT THIS TIME THE TRAINEE IN THE BACK SEAT NOTICED THE 10 O'CLOCK TFC MLG ACFT NOW AT OUR 8 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 2-3 MI AWAY. I COULD NOT SEE THE TFC FROM MY SEAT SO I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR THE TFC TO CONFIRM HIS POS. WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC I WAS NOT SCANNING THE ALTIMETER AND SUDDENLY I NOTICED OUR AIRPLANE HAD CLBED TO 3950 FT! AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR ADVISED US OF OUR ALTDEV. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TELEPHONE ATC REGARDING OUR ALTDEV UPON LNDG AT OUR DEST. MY REFLECTION: ONCE I REALIZED WE WERE DEVIATING FROM THE ASSIGNED ALT I DID NOT FIRMLY ADVISE THE TRAINEE TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND LEVELED OFF APPROPRIATELY. I PAID TOO MUCH ATTN TO THE OUTSIDE TFC AND THEREFORE WAS TOO LATE IN REALIZING OUR ALTDEV, AND I HAD A LITTLE TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE TRAINEE'S SKILL.

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.