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PA44 student pilot climbed through cleared altitude and had an near midair collision with another aircraft. A stuck microphone caused a communication failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 405751 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfb |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mco |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 1325 flight time type : 270 |
| ASRS Report | 405751 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 64 flight time total : 224 flight time type : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 405741 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The above described incident took place on a stage check to determine the student's ability to hold commercial standards in the IFR environment prior to taking an FAA check ride. At this time, student holds both an instrument and multi-engine rating. Departing sanford en route to orlando executive, orlando approach gave us a turn to 180 degrees and maintain 2000 ft. Visibility was poor due to thick smoke, student was under the hood and I was scanning outside for traffic. The cooler temperature and a visual check of the ground caused me to check altitude. The altimeter was showing a climb through approximately 2500 ft. I queried the student as to what altitude we were cleared to. Student referred back to clearance issued on the ground, 'cleared to sfb airport 2000 ft, 3000 ft in 10 mins.' it was apparent that the student was unable to correctly understand/interpretation an IFR clearance. I instructed the student to verify assigned altitude with approach control. After first attempt and no answer from approach, I switched to the #2 radio and made another call. In the meantime a C172 came into sight at our 11 O'clock position. I instructed student to begin descent to 2000 ft. I began to troubleshoot the radio problem and discovered a stuck microphone. C172 passed in front and 300 ft above us. Student continued descent and communications with approach were re-established. My decision to allow approach control to correct/reprimand student for altitude deviation was ineffective due to the stuck microphone. Also, due to my assumption that the student was capable of following a clearance from approach control caused me to be focused outside the aircraft rather than dividing my attention between collision avoidance and instruments. Another factor that caused my attention to be focused outside was due to the volume of IFR/VFR aircraft in the vicinity and the poor visibility. As an instructor it is sometimes difficult to know 'how far' to let the student go before intervening. My decision was based on the belief it would be more memorable for the student to be corrected by the controller. I felt I had the situation under control as it was VFR conditions and (as far as I knew) in contact with approach control. However, safety should always be the #1 concern -- with learning to follow!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA44 STUDENT PLT CLBED THROUGH CLRED ALT AND HAD AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER ACFT. A STUCK MIKE CAUSED A COM FAILURE.
Narrative: THE ABOVE DESCRIBED INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON A STAGE CHK TO DETERMINE THE STUDENT'S ABILITY TO HOLD COMMERCIAL STANDARDS IN THE IFR ENVIRONMENT PRIOR TO TAKING AN FAA CHK RIDE. AT THIS TIME, STUDENT HOLDS BOTH AN INST AND MULTI-ENG RATING. DEPARTING SANFORD ENRTE TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE, ORLANDO APCH GAVE US A TURN TO 180 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. VISIBILITY WAS POOR DUE TO THICK SMOKE, STUDENT WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND I WAS SCANNING OUTSIDE FOR TFC. THE COOLER TEMP AND A VISUAL CHK OF THE GND CAUSED ME TO CHK ALT. THE ALTIMETER WAS SHOWING A CLB THROUGH APPROX 2500 FT. I QUERIED THE STUDENT AS TO WHAT ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. STUDENT REFERRED BACK TO CLRNC ISSUED ON THE GND, 'CLRED TO SFB ARPT 2000 FT, 3000 FT IN 10 MINS.' IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE STUDENT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND/INTERP AN IFR CLRNC. I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT WITH APCH CTL. AFTER FIRST ATTEMPT AND NO ANSWER FROM APCH, I SWITCHED TO THE #2 RADIO AND MADE ANOTHER CALL. IN THE MEANTIME A C172 CAME INTO SIGHT AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. I INSTRUCTED STUDENT TO BEGIN DSCNT TO 2000 FT. I BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE RADIO PROB AND DISCOVERED A STUCK MIKE. C172 PASSED IN FRONT AND 300 FT ABOVE US. STUDENT CONTINUED DSCNT AND COMS WITH APCH WERE RE-ESTABLISHED. MY DECISION TO ALLOW APCH CTL TO CORRECT/REPRIMAND STUDENT FOR ALTDEV WAS INEFFECTIVE DUE TO THE STUCK MIKE. ALSO, DUE TO MY ASSUMPTION THAT THE STUDENT WAS CAPABLE OF FOLLOWING A CLRNC FROM APCH CTL CAUSED ME TO BE FOCUSED OUTSIDE THE ACFT RATHER THAN DIVIDING MY ATTN BTWN COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND INSTS. ANOTHER FACTOR THAT CAUSED MY ATTN TO BE FOCUSED OUTSIDE WAS DUE TO THE VOLUME OF IFR/VFR ACFT IN THE VICINITY AND THE POOR VISIBILITY. AS AN INSTRUCTOR IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KNOW 'HOW FAR' TO LET THE STUDENT GO BEFORE INTERVENING. MY DECISION WAS BASED ON THE BELIEF IT WOULD BE MORE MEMORABLE FOR THE STUDENT TO BE CORRECTED BY THE CTLR. I FELT I HAD THE SIT UNDER CTL AS IT WAS VFR CONDITIONS AND (AS FAR AS I KNEW) IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL. HOWEVER, SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE #1 CONCERN -- WITH LEARNING TO FOLLOW!
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.