A flight school operator reports assigned altitude and heading excursions, while riding with 2 rente...

Attributes
ACN	340125
Time
Date	199607
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	340125
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I arrived to the airport (caldwell essex, nj) an hour early. In order to 'kill time,' I went to the gym for an hour. As I arrived for the estimated time of departure, I could tell that the 2 men I was flying with were in a real rush to make their business appointment in wilmington, de. Both men had flown C182's. Between the two of them, they claimed to have 300 hours in the plane. I felt rather assured of an easy flight. The reason I was flying with them was because of insurance reasons. They hadn't rented from my school within 90 days. Before we taxied, I asked them if their sectionals and other aides were current. They responded yes and we were on our way. We contacted ny approach and were en route at 4500 ft. I sat right seat and quickly realized that the pilot wasn't proficient at all. The tops of the clouds were starting to rise from beneath us and the scattered layer was now broken. I called for an IFR clearance and, after a slight delay, it was given to us. The pilot's instrument scan was poor. We deved altitude 500 ft at one point and heading varied 30 degrees! I found it difficult to instruct the hard headed pilot. Needless to say, the ny sectional was a yr old. They didn't have an AFD or a washington sectional (where wilmington is located). The pilot asked the controller for the ILS runway 1 approach. He didn't even have an approach plate! He got the frequency from a facility directory. We got vectors to final. Most of the approach was done visual, yet we had full scale deflection by the time I saw the airport. The landing was uneventful. The other pilot flew us back to caldwell, and it was pretty uneventful. There was an altitude deviation of 200 ft before I took it and recovered. On the way down to de, the pilot was intimidating. I learned from that leg, and I made them purchase current sectionals and took very little from both of them on the trip home. Being an hour early, I should have stayed at the field and reviewed the flight with the men. Then much of this could've been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT SCHOOL OPERATOR RPTS ASSIGNED ALT AND HDG EXCURSIONS, WHILE RIDING WITH 2 RENTERS FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES. THE PLTS WERE NOT PROFICIENT AND DID NOT HAVE THE CURRENT CHARTS AS THEY HAD CLAIMED.

Narrative: I ARRIVED TO THE ARPT (CALDWELL ESSEX, NJ) AN HR EARLY. IN ORDER TO 'KILL TIME,' I WENT TO THE GYM FOR AN HR. AS I ARRIVED FOR THE ESTIMATED TIME OF DEP, I COULD TELL THAT THE 2 MEN I WAS FLYING WITH WERE IN A REAL RUSH TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESS APPOINTMENT IN WILMINGTON, DE. BOTH MEN HAD FLOWN C182'S. BTWN THE TWO OF THEM, THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE 300 HRS IN THE PLANE. I FELT RATHER ASSURED OF AN EASY FLT. THE REASON I WAS FLYING WITH THEM WAS BECAUSE OF INSURANCE REASONS. THEY HADN'T RENTED FROM MY SCHOOL WITHIN 90 DAYS. BEFORE WE TAXIED, I ASKED THEM IF THEIR SECTIONALS AND OTHER AIDES WERE CURRENT. THEY RESPONDED YES AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. WE CONTACTED NY APCH AND WERE ENRTE AT 4500 FT. I SAT R SEAT AND QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE PLT WASN'T PROFICIENT AT ALL. THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS WERE STARTING TO RISE FROM BENEATH US AND THE SCATTERED LAYER WAS NOW BROKEN. I CALLED FOR AN IFR CLRNC AND, AFTER A SLIGHT DELAY, IT WAS GIVEN TO US. THE PLT'S INST SCAN WAS POOR. WE DEVED ALT 500 FT AT ONE POINT AND HDG VARIED 30 DEGS! I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO INSTRUCT THE HARD HEADED PLT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE NY SECTIONAL WAS A YR OLD. THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN AFD OR A WASHINGTON SECTIONAL (WHERE WILMINGTON IS LOCATED). THE PLT ASKED THE CTLR FOR THE ILS RWY 1 APCH. HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN APCH PLATE! HE GOT THE FREQ FROM A FAC DIRECTORY. WE GOT VECTORS TO FINAL. MOST OF THE APCH WAS DONE VISUAL, YET WE HAD FULL SCALE DEFLECTION BY THE TIME I SAW THE ARPT. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE OTHER PLT FLEW US BACK TO CALDWELL, AND IT WAS PRETTY UNEVENTFUL. THERE WAS AN ALTDEV OF 200 FT BEFORE I TOOK IT AND RECOVERED. ON THE WAY DOWN TO DE, THE PLT WAS INTIMIDATING. I LEARNED FROM THAT LEG, AND I MADE THEM PURCHASE CURRENT SECTIONALS AND TOOK VERY LITTLE FROM BOTH OF THEM ON THE TRIP HOME. BEING AN HR EARLY, I SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT THE FIELD AND REVIEWED THE FLT WITH THE MEN. THEN MUCH OF THIS COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.

A flight school operator reports assigned altitude and heading excursions, while riding with 2 renters for insurance purposes. The pilots were not proficient and did not have the current charts as they had claimed.