Narrative:

I am a new CFI with only 5.9 dual given. This was student's first night cross country. This was my first night dual. Situation: night cross country mlb-sfb-mlb. Left mlb at XA57, very dark night, moon hidden by high overcast. I let student fly and keep up with navigation log and slowly move east of course. When we got abeam sfb airport to the east, I showed student how off course we were and helped him to get on course to the airport. Student had a lot of trouble with tower communications so I took over. We landed sfb runway 9L. Student had trouble finding taxiway and turnoff. I took over taxi and helped student get ready for return trip. We stopped at end of runway after taxi back and got ready. When I confirmed student was ready and had departure heading in mind we got clearance to takeoff. Student flew aircraft while I handled tower communications and reviewed the chart. I told student to level at 1500 ft and he said he would like to be higher at night. I said ok, and then began to review chart and look outside for our first chkpoint. I called sanford tower for frequency change and thanked them for their patience. I then had student call st petersburg radio to cancel our previous flight plan. Altitude was 2500 ft. We were slightly off course to the west, so I asked student to show me the next chkpoint. I looked out and saw student's chkpoint, a lighted tower was ahead and to the left. I informed the student where it was and had him turn to it. I then checked the chart for confirmation of the point. At this time just east of bitlio towers on about the 050 degree radial 12 mi from orl VOR, I finally looked at the altimeter and saw that the student had leveled at about 3400 ft. I believe we were now into the orlando class B area which has a floor of 3000 ft. I immediately took the controls and descended to 2500 ft. We tuned in mlb VOR and flew back to mlb as normal. I feel that the reason for this penetration was a high workload and inexperience. I got busy correcting the student's navigation discrepancies and never thought that he would climb into the airspace, therefore, did not check the altitude as much as necessary. On the ground in planning, we stressed the existence of the class B and the fact that we had to stay below it. When the student said he wanted higher than 1500 ft, I assumed that the higher altitude would be below 3000 ft. I have learned from this experience to be very alert to every aspect of the student's performance, and not take anything for granted or assume that they will follow regulations. The student's experience was 50 flight hours, including 12.3 hours dual cross country, 3.8 solo cross country, 3.3 night dual with a previous instructor. This past experience led me to believe the student could handle more flight duties such as choosing a proper altitude without supervision. In the future, I know I have to treat the flight more as something that I have to control than as a flight where I observe and guide the student. The lesson was given a grade of unsatisfactory due to student not meeting the requirement of proficiency for pilotage and dead-reckoning. With all further students will be sure to watch closely all actions taken by the student and keep much tighter supervision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR VIOLATED CLASS B AIRSPACE AT MCO.

Narrative: I AM A NEW CFI WITH ONLY 5.9 DUAL GIVEN. THIS WAS STUDENT'S FIRST NIGHT XCOUNTRY. THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT DUAL. SIT: NIGHT XCOUNTRY MLB-SFB-MLB. LEFT MLB AT XA57, VERY DARK NIGHT, MOON HIDDEN BY HIGH OVCST. I LET STUDENT FLY AND KEEP UP WITH NAV LOG AND SLOWLY MOVE E OF COURSE. WHEN WE GOT ABEAM SFB ARPT TO THE E, I SHOWED STUDENT HOW OFF COURSE WE WERE AND HELPED HIM TO GET ON COURSE TO THE ARPT. STUDENT HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH TWR COMS SO I TOOK OVER. WE LANDED SFB RWY 9L. STUDENT HAD TROUBLE FINDING TXWY AND TURNOFF. I TOOK OVER TAXI AND HELPED STUDENT GET READY FOR RETURN TRIP. WE STOPPED AT END OF RWY AFTER TAXI BACK AND GOT READY. WHEN I CONFIRMED STUDENT WAS READY AND HAD DEP HDG IN MIND WE GOT CLRNC TO TKOF. STUDENT FLEW ACFT WHILE I HANDLED TWR COMS AND REVIEWED THE CHART. I TOLD STUDENT TO LEVEL AT 1500 FT AND HE SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO BE HIGHER AT NIGHT. I SAID OK, AND THEN BEGAN TO REVIEW CHART AND LOOK OUTSIDE FOR OUR FIRST CHKPOINT. I CALLED SANFORD TWR FOR FREQ CHANGE AND THANKED THEM FOR THEIR PATIENCE. I THEN HAD STUDENT CALL ST PETERSBURG RADIO TO CANCEL OUR PREVIOUS FLT PLAN. ALT WAS 2500 FT. WE WERE SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE TO THE W, SO I ASKED STUDENT TO SHOW ME THE NEXT CHKPOINT. I LOOKED OUT AND SAW STUDENT'S CHKPOINT, A LIGHTED TWR WAS AHEAD AND TO THE L. I INFORMED THE STUDENT WHERE IT WAS AND HAD HIM TURN TO IT. I THEN CHKED THE CHART FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE POINT. AT THIS TIME JUST E OF BITLIO TWRS ON ABOUT THE 050 DEG RADIAL 12 MI FROM ORL VOR, I FINALLY LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT THE STUDENT HAD LEVELED AT ABOUT 3400 FT. I BELIEVE WE WERE NOW INTO THE ORLANDO CLASS B AREA WHICH HAS A FLOOR OF 3000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CTLS AND DSNDED TO 2500 FT. WE TUNED IN MLB VOR AND FLEW BACK TO MLB AS NORMAL. I FEEL THAT THE REASON FOR THIS PENETRATION WAS A HIGH WORKLOAD AND INEXPERIENCE. I GOT BUSY CORRECTING THE STUDENT'S NAV DISCREPANCIES AND NEVER THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD CLB INTO THE AIRSPACE, THEREFORE, DID NOT CHK THE ALT AS MUCH AS NECESSARY. ON THE GND IN PLANNING, WE STRESSED THE EXISTENCE OF THE CLASS B AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO STAY BELOW IT. WHEN THE STUDENT SAID HE WANTED HIGHER THAN 1500 FT, I ASSUMED THAT THE HIGHER ALT WOULD BE BELOW 3000 FT. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE TO BE VERY ALERT TO EVERY ASPECT OF THE STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE, AND NOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED OR ASSUME THAT THEY WILL FOLLOW REGS. THE STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE WAS 50 FLT HRS, INCLUDING 12.3 HRS DUAL XCOUNTRY, 3.8 SOLO XCOUNTRY, 3.3 NIGHT DUAL WITH A PREVIOUS INSTRUCTOR. THIS PAST EXPERIENCE LED ME TO BELIEVE THE STUDENT COULD HANDLE MORE FLT DUTIES SUCH AS CHOOSING A PROPER ALT WITHOUT SUPERVISION. IN THE FUTURE, I KNOW I HAVE TO TREAT THE FLT MORE AS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO CTL THAN AS A FLT WHERE I OBSERVE AND GUIDE THE STUDENT. THE LESSON WAS GIVEN A GRADE OF UNSATISFACTORY DUE TO STUDENT NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENT OF PROFICIENCY FOR PILOTAGE AND DEAD-RECKONING. WITH ALL FURTHER STUDENTS WILL BE SURE TO WATCH CLOSELY ALL ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE STUDENT AND KEEP MUCH TIGHTER SUPERVISION.

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.