Narrative:

I was giving instruction on an IFR flight plan from las vegas, nv, to santa maria, ca. While on radar vectors northwest of palmdale VOR, the controller said she was vectoring us to gaviota VOR. We were filed palmdale to san marcos to gaviota. At this point I was in the mindset that we no longer needed to worry about navigating to san marcos. (San marcos and gaviota are 16 NM apart.) after handing us off, the next controller told us to fly direct to san marcos. Upon reaching san marcos we were still at 14000 ft and I was told we could expect a descent over the VOR, and then told not until 5 mi after the VOR. The problems arose when I got fixated on trying to get a descent from ATC, and not thinking ahead of the airplane. After crossing san marcos we continued to fly outbound without changing course because I was still thinking in terms of expecting radar vectors, and I was waiting for 5 DME so that I could get my long awaited descent. I was not manipulating the controls, so I wasn't really aware that we were flying off course. Meanwhile, I told my student to reduce power, extend flaps and gear, and reduce airspeed in anticipation of our big descent. After flying past the VOR about 4 mi, I realized that I was unsure of my clearance and called ATC to ask them, I realized that I was unsure of my clearance and called ATC to ask them if I was supposed to be flying vectors. The controller said that I should be flying as filed, and to get back on course and cleared us for only 1000 ft of descent. Due to the high drag confign of the airport, our descent rate was very rapid, so I warned my student that we were only cleared down 1000 ft. I then got involved with planning our descent, getting on course, and tuning in ATIS, while my student broke our assigned altitude by 500 ft. When I noticed our 2ND deviation, I took control of the airplane and initiated a climb, just as ATC called to ask of our altitude. I broke an altitude and a course in 5 min time because I became fixated on other factors of flight and I put too much faith in my students ability to hold altitude. The handoff was confusing because I received an amended clearance and didn't realize it. I was still expecting vectors to gaviota, and I was too fixated on getting a lower altitude to notice that we were expected to fly as filed. The close proximity of the 2 vors also helped to confuse matters. I was so flustered with our course deviation that I lost track of my student on themselves in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT HAS ALTDEV AND HDG DEV. ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM LAS VEGAS, NV, TO SANTA MARIA, CA. WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS NW OF PALMDALE VOR, THE CTLR SAID SHE WAS VECTORING US TO GAVIOTA VOR. WE WERE FILED PALMDALE TO SAN MARCOS TO GAVIOTA. AT THIS POINT I WAS IN THE MINDSET THAT WE NO LONGER NEEDED TO WORRY ABOUT NAVIGATING TO SAN MARCOS. (SAN MARCOS AND GAVIOTA ARE 16 NM APART.) AFTER HANDING US OFF, THE NEXT CTLR TOLD US TO FLY DIRECT TO SAN MARCOS. UPON REACHING SAN MARCOS WE WERE STILL AT 14000 FT AND I WAS TOLD WE COULD EXPECT A DSCNT OVER THE VOR, AND THEN TOLD NOT UNTIL 5 MI AFTER THE VOR. THE PROBS AROSE WHEN I GOT FIXATED ON TRYING TO GET A DSCNT FROM ATC, AND NOT THINKING AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER XING SAN MARCOS WE CONTINUED TO FLY OUTBOUND WITHOUT CHANGING COURSE BECAUSE I WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF EXPECTING RADAR VECTORS, AND I WAS WAITING FOR 5 DME SO THAT I COULD GET MY LONG AWAITED DSCNT. I WAS NOT MANIPULATING THE CTLS, SO I WASN'T REALLY AWARE THAT WE WERE FLYING OFF COURSE. MEANWHILE, I TOLD MY STUDENT TO REDUCE PWR, EXTEND FLAPS AND GEAR, AND REDUCE AIRSPD IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR BIG DSCNT. AFTER FLYING PAST THE VOR ABOUT 4 MI, I REALIZED THAT I WAS UNSURE OF MY CLRNC AND CALLED ATC TO ASK THEM, I REALIZED THAT I WAS UNSURE OF MY CLRNC AND CALLED ATC TO ASK THEM IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING VECTORS. THE CTLR SAID THAT I SHOULD BE FLYING AS FILED, AND TO GET BACK ON COURSE AND CLRED US FOR ONLY 1000 FT OF DSCNT. DUE TO THE HIGH DRAG CONFIGN OF THE ARPT, OUR DSCNT RATE WAS VERY RAPID, SO I WARNED MY STUDENT THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED DOWN 1000 FT. I THEN GOT INVOLVED WITH PLANNING OUR DSCNT, GETTING ON COURSE, AND TUNING IN ATIS, WHILE MY STUDENT BROKE OUR ASSIGNED ALT BY 500 FT. WHEN I NOTICED OUR 2ND DEV, I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND INITIATED A CLB, JUST AS ATC CALLED TO ASK OF OUR ALT. I BROKE AN ALT AND A COURSE IN 5 MIN TIME BECAUSE I BECAME FIXATED ON OTHER FACTORS OF FLT AND I PUT TOO MUCH FAITH IN MY STUDENTS ABILITY TO HOLD ALT. THE HDOF WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE I RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT. I WAS STILL EXPECTING VECTORS TO GAVIOTA, AND I WAS TOO FIXATED ON GETTING A LOWER ALT TO NOTICE THAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO FLY AS FILED. THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 VORS ALSO HELPED TO CONFUSE MATTERS. I WAS SO FLUSTERED WITH OUR COURSE DEV THAT I LOST TRACK OF MY STUDENT ON THEMSELVES IN THE COCKPIT.

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.