Narrative:

During airways training flight on V448, 2 qualified (not aircraft commander qualified) pilots were conducting airways instrument training. Approximately 50 NM from the yakima VORTAC, ATC issued advisories of an active restr area near the VORTAC and offered direct routing to knuw (home base). The flight crew elected to continue en route for airways training. ATC issued clearance to turn 3 NM prior yakima VORTAC to join V4. As the aircraft neared the VORTAC, the flight crew became preoccupied with performing mission summary report and other end of mission tasking. Approximately 6 NM past the yakima VORTAC ATC advised that the aircraft had diverted from clearance and issued instruction for an immediate left turn to exit active r- 6714. Due to change direction, the aircraft was issued clearance from 15000 ft MSL to 16000 ft MSL. During the climbing turn the crew was preoccupied trouble-shooting navigational error. In doing so, they lost situational awareness and climbed through their assigned altitude and reached 16800 ft MSL prior to taking corrective actions to return to assigned altitude. Once back at 16000 ft MSL, ATC advised aircraft commander to contact seattle ARTCC once on deck. The above summary illustrates an example of flight crew loss of situational awareness. It is submitted in an effort to learn from the incident and prevent a similar incident in the future.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A MIL LOCKHEED P-3 ORION, FAILED TO TURN AS REQUESTED BY ATC RESULTING IN THE PENETRATION OF A RESTR AREA. ATC INTERVENED AND VECTORED THEM OUT OF THE 'R' AIRSPACE WHERE THEY SUBSEQUENTLY CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: DURING AIRWAYS TRAINING FLT ON V448, 2 QUALIFIED (NOT ACFT COMMANDER QUALIFIED) PLTS WERE CONDUCTING AIRWAYS INST TRAINING. APPROX 50 NM FROM THE YAKIMA VORTAC, ATC ISSUED ADVISORIES OF AN ACTIVE RESTR AREA NEAR THE VORTAC AND OFFERED DIRECT ROUTING TO KNUW (HOME BASE). THE FLC ELECTED TO CONTINUE ENRTE FOR AIRWAYS TRAINING. ATC ISSUED CLRNC TO TURN 3 NM PRIOR YAKIMA VORTAC TO JOIN V4. AS THE ACFT NEARED THE VORTAC, THE FLC BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH PERFORMING MISSION SUMMARY RPT AND OTHER END OF MISSION TASKING. APPROX 6 NM PAST THE YAKIMA VORTAC ATC ADVISED THAT THE ACFT HAD DIVERTED FROM CLRNC AND ISSUED INSTRUCTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO EXIT ACTIVE R- 6714. DUE TO CHANGE DIRECTION, THE ACFT WAS ISSUED CLRNC FROM 15000 FT MSL TO 16000 FT MSL. DURING THE CLBING TURN THE CREW WAS PREOCCUPIED TROUBLE-SHOOTING NAVIGATIONAL ERROR. IN DOING SO, THEY LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CLBED THROUGH THEIR ASSIGNED ALT AND REACHED 16800 FT MSL PRIOR TO TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO RETURN TO ASSIGNED ALT. ONCE BACK AT 16000 FT MSL, ATC ADVISED ACFT COMMANDER TO CONTACT SEATTLE ARTCC ONCE ON DECK. THE ABOVE SUMMARY ILLUSTRATES AN EXAMPLE OF FLC LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. IT IS SUBMITTED IN AN EFFORT TO LEARN FROM THE INCIDENT AND PREVENT A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE.

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.