Narrative:

On departing runway 12 at vgt (north las vegas), tower told us to turn right heading 220 degrees and not to call approach until advised (we had already been given a squawk code by ground control). To avoid class B I told my student to turn further right to 240 degrees. Tower apparently forgot us until we called clear of their airspace. They then said, 'oh, yeah, contact approach.' upon contacting approach we were told, 'next time contact us prior to entering bravo airspace. Turn left heading 090 degrees (maintain 5500 ft).' apparently we had drifted further south than I had thought. I was unfamiliar with the area over the city. While this was going on my primary (pre-private pilot) student heard the altitude restriction but I did not. When he tried to level off I told him to keep climbing. Shortly after I heard ATC advise a departing boeing 727 to look for a cessna 172. I turned and saw him low at our 4-5 O'clock position in a climbing right turn headed directly for us. It quickly became apparent that we were on a collision course and I took the controls from my student who was dutifully continuing to climb like I had told him. After the B727 passed directly overhead, and I braced for the wake turbulence jolt, I heard the B727 pilot say over the radio, 'I've never seen a cessna dive like that before!' contributing factors: instructor fatigue, unfamiliarity with the area, expectation, and task saturation, and blindly following an assigned heading. Corrective actions: better preflight preparation by the CFI might have prevented the incursion. Also, fatigue (lack of sleep and long hours) contributed a great deal to the mistakes -- better rest. A little assertiveness by the student (who now knows CFI's make mistakes, too) might have prevented the loss of separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING RWY 12 AT VGT (NORTH LAS VEGAS), TWR TOLD US TO TURN R HDG 220 DEGS AND NOT TO CALL APCH UNTIL ADVISED (WE HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE BY GND CTL). TO AVOID CLASS B I TOLD MY STUDENT TO TURN FURTHER R TO 240 DEGS. TWR APPARENTLY FORGOT US UNTIL WE CALLED CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE. THEY THEN SAID, 'OH, YEAH, CONTACT APCH.' UPON CONTACTING APCH WE WERE TOLD, 'NEXT TIME CONTACT US PRIOR TO ENTERING BRAVO AIRSPACE. TURN L HDG 090 DEGS (MAINTAIN 5500 FT).' APPARENTLY WE HAD DRIFTED FURTHER S THAN I HAD THOUGHT. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA OVER THE CITY. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON MY PRIMARY (PRE-PVT PLT) STUDENT HEARD THE ALT RESTRICTION BUT I DID NOT. WHEN HE TRIED TO LEVEL OFF I TOLD HIM TO KEEP CLBING. SHORTLY AFTER I HEARD ATC ADVISE A DEPARTING BOEING 727 TO LOOK FOR A CESSNA 172. I TURNED AND SAW HIM LOW AT OUR 4-5 O'CLOCK POS IN A CLBING R TURN HEADED DIRECTLY FOR US. IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE AND I TOOK THE CTLS FROM MY STUDENT WHO WAS DUTIFULLY CONTINUING TO CLB LIKE I HAD TOLD HIM. AFTER THE B727 PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, AND I BRACED FOR THE WAKE TURB JOLT, I HEARD THE B727 PLT SAY OVER THE RADIO, 'I'VE NEVER SEEN A CESSNA DIVE LIKE THAT BEFORE!' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INSTRUCTOR FATIGUE, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, EXPECTATION, AND TASK SATURATION, AND BLINDLY FOLLOWING AN ASSIGNED HDG. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: BETTER PREFLT PREPARATION BY THE CFI MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THE INCURSION. ALSO, FATIGUE (LACK OF SLEEP AND LONG HRS) CONTRIBUTED A GREAT DEAL TO THE MISTAKES -- BETTER REST. A LITTLE ASSERTIVENESS BY THE STUDENT (WHO NOW KNOWS CFI'S MAKE MISTAKES, TOO) MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THE LOSS OF SEPARATION.

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.