Narrative:

Our seneca was cleared to tix via radar vectors to mlb direct climb and maintain 2000 ft, expect 3000 ft in 10 mins. I was the instructor. We departed vrb airport on an assigned heading of 290 degrees and climbed to 2000 ft. My student (on his 2ND IFR flight) was flying the aircraft. He reached 600 ft and contacted ZMA. This was premature due to the fact that climb power was not set, the climb check was not complete, and we were beginning to deviate from our heading. ZMA asked us to identify, then reported us in radar contact and told us to maintain 2000 ft. I read back 'maintain 2000 ft.' we were then given a heading of 300 degrees (10 degrees to the right). My student had incorrectly engaged the autoplt in a 900 FPM climb which left our airspeed bleeding off. I took control of the aircraft, disconnected the autoplt, reduced the rate of descent, and attempted to read back the clearance. I incorrectly read back a 330 degree heading. ZMA then corrected us with a 300 degree heading. I turned the aircraft to 300 degrees and believed I was cleared to 3000 ft. I can only think that I must have mistaken my heading assignment somehow with 3000 ft, or I just assumed I heard a 3000 ft assignment because that is a common altitude assignment out of vrb (ZMA). At 2800 ft, with the student back on the controls, miami asked to verify I was maintaining 2000 ft. I read back that I was climbing to 3000 ft. She then gave me TA for opposite direction and told me to climb to 4000 ft. When I returned from the flight, I was advised that miami had lost separation on another aircraft and myself due to my altitude deviation. I believe this deviation took place because of my failure to divide my attention and set priorities. I was frustrated at my student's incorrect procedures and incorrect use of the autoplt. I was trying to correct an inappropriate pitch attitude, a heading deviation, answer the radio calls, and brief my student on why I took control of the aircraft. In attempting to do too much at one time, my attention to detail suffered, and I climbed to the incorrect altitude. When issued the new clearance, I immediately climbed to 4000 ft. I later called ZMA and discussed the deviation with the supervisor who briefed me on the tapes and his assessment of the communications. Later I discussed the cause of the deviation and the ways to avoid another deviation with the chief pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A DUAL INST FLT IN A SENECA, THE FLT INSTRUCTOR INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT. THE STUDENT HAD INCORRECTLY ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS CORRECTING THE SIT, BUT ASSUMED THE WRONG ALT. LTSS RESULTED.

Narrative: OUR SENECA WAS CLRED TO TIX VIA RADAR VECTORS TO MLB DIRECT CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT, EXPECT 3000 FT IN 10 MINS. I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR. WE DEPARTED VRB ARPT ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 290 DEGS AND CLBED TO 2000 FT. MY STUDENT (ON HIS 2ND IFR FLT) WAS FLYING THE ACFT. HE REACHED 600 FT AND CONTACTED ZMA. THIS WAS PREMATURE DUE TO THE FACT THAT CLB PWR WAS NOT SET, THE CLB CHK WAS NOT COMPLETE, AND WE WERE BEGINNING TO DEVIATE FROM OUR HDG. ZMA ASKED US TO IDENT, THEN RPTED US IN RADAR CONTACT AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT. I READ BACK 'MAINTAIN 2000 FT.' WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HDG OF 300 DEGS (10 DEGS TO THE R). MY STUDENT HAD INCORRECTLY ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT IN A 900 FPM CLB WHICH LEFT OUR AIRSPD BLEEDING OFF. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, REDUCED THE RATE OF DSCNT, AND ATTEMPTED TO READ BACK THE CLRNC. I INCORRECTLY READ BACK A 330 DEG HDG. ZMA THEN CORRECTED US WITH A 300 DEG HDG. I TURNED THE ACFT TO 300 DEGS AND BELIEVED I WAS CLRED TO 3000 FT. I CAN ONLY THINK THAT I MUST HAVE MISTAKEN MY HDG ASSIGNMENT SOMEHOW WITH 3000 FT, OR I JUST ASSUMED I HEARD A 3000 FT ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE THAT IS A COMMON ALT ASSIGNMENT OUT OF VRB (ZMA). AT 2800 FT, WITH THE STUDENT BACK ON THE CTLS, MIAMI ASKED TO VERIFY I WAS MAINTAINING 2000 FT. I READ BACK THAT I WAS CLBING TO 3000 FT. SHE THEN GAVE ME TA FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND TOLD ME TO CLB TO 4000 FT. WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE FLT, I WAS ADVISED THAT MIAMI HAD LOST SEPARATION ON ANOTHER ACFT AND MYSELF DUE TO MY ALTDEV. I BELIEVE THIS DEV TOOK PLACE BECAUSE OF MY FAILURE TO DIVIDE MY ATTN AND SET PRIORITIES. I WAS FRUSTRATED AT MY STUDENT'S INCORRECT PROCS AND INCORRECT USE OF THE AUTOPLT. I WAS TRYING TO CORRECT AN INAPPROPRIATE PITCH ATTITUDE, A HDG DEV, ANSWER THE RADIO CALLS, AND BRIEF MY STUDENT ON WHY I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT. IN ATTEMPTING TO DO TOO MUCH AT ONE TIME, MY ATTN TO DETAIL SUFFERED, AND I CLBED TO THE INCORRECT ALT. WHEN ISSUED THE NEW CLRNC, I IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 4000 FT. I LATER CALLED ZMA AND DISCUSSED THE DEV WITH THE SUPVR WHO BRIEFED ME ON THE TAPES AND HIS ASSESSMENT OF THE COMS. LATER I DISCUSSED THE CAUSE OF THE DEV AND THE WAYS TO AVOID ANOTHER DEV WITH THE CHIEF PLT.

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.