Narrative:

An instrument rated student of mine and I departed from the tri county airport (asj) for the kinston airport (iso). He had just completed a commercial multi-engine chkride and we were returning to where the flight school is based. WX conditions at asj were MVFR to VFR while those along our route of flight were IFR deteriorating to low IFR at iso. We flew primarily over an undercast layer with the student flying the airplane. On the ILS approach to runway 5 into iso, I continued to allow the student to fly while I coached him through it. Considering the fact that this was only his second time in IMC (his first was a few hours earlier on the check ride), he was doing well. Things, however, began to change upon reaching decision ht. At decision ht, we had to go missed due to our inability to see the runway environment. On climb out, I advised approach that we did not wish to try again but wanted the ILS at the pitt greenville airport (pgv). Pgv is about 30 mi northeast of iso and was in the direction of improved WX. By this time, I noticed the student beginning to overctl a bit indicating fatigue and possibly a touch of vertigo. I took control of the airplane at this time. By the time we leveled off at our assigned altitude of 3000 ft, I noticed it was getting quite dark inside the airplane (it was late afternoon). I do not have a lot of time in the PA44 and I had never flown it at night. Next, we were instructed to contact ZDC and shortly thereafter I noticed we had lost the ability to receive. Also, I discovered our ADF wasn't picking up the compass locator OM at pgv. Needless to say, the student was beginning to get quite stressed. He was making comments like he thought we should try descending through the occasional holes in the undercast to look for a place to land. Considering everything, I continued to fly northeast toward the asj airport and WX I knew was better. As we neared the asj airport, the WX improved to MVFR to VFR. Because it was now dark and some cloud could be seen below, I decided to do the VOR/DME approach into asj. The remainder of the flight progressed without any problems. Once on the ground, ZDC called to verify the outcome of the flight. They voiced concern that we deviated from our last assigned altitude (3000 ft) and that we never squawked 7600 (our transponder remained on the code given with our IFR clearance). Dealing with the problems mentioned earlier, while not an excuse to deviate from IFR procedure, would be a contributing factor. I've tried to examine my actions to learn from the mistakes made. Part of the examination has included discussions with our chief pilot. What I've concluded so far includes the following: 1) I should have gotten a WX briefing and filed a flight plan myself rather than allowing a less experienced pilot to do so. 2) since I was operating in the clear when I leveled off at 3000 ft and the WX continued to improve as I flew northeast, I should have initially squawked 7600 and then gone to 1200. Also, I should have broadcast my intentions on the last assigned frequency on the chance that center would be able to receive me. 3) do recurrent training at 6 month intervals with emphasis on failed system and following procedures. 4) set personal WX minimums for myself. 5) raise personal WX minimums when flying an airplane I'm low in experience in. 6) always carry with me a flight bag containing appropriate charts and a flashlight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the instructor pilot related that he had inadvertently operated a switch that caused the radio problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA44 INSTRUCTOR PLT ENCOUNTERS RADIO FAILURE DIVERTING TO ALTERNATE ARPT AFTER STUDENT PLT MISSES APCH DUE TO WX AT DEST IN ZDC AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AN INST RATED STUDENT OF MINE AND I DEPARTED FROM THE TRI COUNTY ARPT (ASJ) FOR THE KINSTON ARPT (ISO). HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A COMMERCIAL MULTI-ENG CHKRIDE AND WE WERE RETURNING TO WHERE THE FLT SCHOOL IS BASED. WX CONDITIONS AT ASJ WERE MVFR TO VFR WHILE THOSE ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT WERE IFR DETERIORATING TO LOW IFR AT ISO. WE FLEW PRIMARILY OVER AN UNDERCAST LAYER WITH THE STUDENT FLYING THE AIRPLANE. ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 5 INTO ISO, I CONTINUED TO ALLOW THE STUDENT TO FLY WHILE I COACHED HIM THROUGH IT. CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THIS WAS ONLY HIS SECOND TIME IN IMC (HIS FIRST WAS A FEW HRS EARLIER ON THE CHK RIDE), HE WAS DOING WELL. THINGS, HOWEVER, BEGAN TO CHANGE UPON REACHING DECISION HT. AT DECISION HT, WE HAD TO GO MISSED DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO SEE THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. ON CLBOUT, I ADVISED APCH THAT WE DID NOT WISH TO TRY AGAIN BUT WANTED THE ILS AT THE PITT GREENVILLE ARPT (PGV). PGV IS ABOUT 30 MI NE OF ISO AND WAS IN THE DIRECTION OF IMPROVED WX. BY THIS TIME, I NOTICED THE STUDENT BEGINNING TO OVERCTL A BIT INDICATING FATIGUE AND POSSIBLY A TOUCH OF VERTIGO. I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AT THIS TIME. BY THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT, I NOTICED IT WAS GETTING QUITE DARK INSIDE THE AIRPLANE (IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON). I DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME IN THE PA44 AND I HAD NEVER FLOWN IT AT NIGHT. NEXT, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT ZDC AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER I NOTICED WE HAD LOST THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE. ALSO, I DISCOVERED OUR ADF WASN'T PICKING UP THE COMPASS LOCATOR OM AT PGV. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE STUDENT WAS BEGINNING TO GET QUITE STRESSED. HE WAS MAKING COMMENTS LIKE HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD TRY DSNDING THROUGH THE OCCASIONAL HOLES IN THE UNDERCAST TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND. CONSIDERING EVERYTHING, I CONTINUED TO FLY NE TOWARD THE ASJ ARPT AND WX I KNEW WAS BETTER. AS WE NEARED THE ASJ ARPT, THE WX IMPROVED TO MVFR TO VFR. BECAUSE IT WAS NOW DARK AND SOME CLOUD COULD BE SEEN BELOW, I DECIDED TO DO THE VOR/DME APCH INTO ASJ. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROGRESSED WITHOUT ANY PROBS. ONCE ON THE GND, ZDC CALLED TO VERIFY THE OUTCOME OF THE FLT. THEY VOICED CONCERN THAT WE DEVIATED FROM OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT (3000 FT) AND THAT WE NEVER SQUAWKED 7600 (OUR XPONDER REMAINED ON THE CODE GIVEN WITH OUR IFR CLRNC). DEALING WITH THE PROBS MENTIONED EARLIER, WHILE NOT AN EXCUSE TO DEVIATE FROM IFR PROC, WOULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. I'VE TRIED TO EXAMINE MY ACTIONS TO LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES MADE. PART OF THE EXAMINATION HAS INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CHIEF PLT. WHAT I'VE CONCLUDED SO FAR INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING: 1) I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING AND FILED A FLT PLAN MYSELF RATHER THAN ALLOWING A LESS EXPERIENCED PLT TO DO SO. 2) SINCE I WAS OPERATING IN THE CLR WHEN I LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT AND THE WX CONTINUED TO IMPROVE AS I FLEW NE, I SHOULD HAVE INITIALLY SQUAWKED 7600 AND THEN GONE TO 1200. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS ON THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ ON THE CHANCE THAT CTR WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ME. 3) DO RECURRENT TRAINING AT 6 MONTH INTERVALS WITH EMPHASIS ON FAILED SYS AND FOLLOWING PROCS. 4) SET PERSONAL WX MINIMUMS FOR MYSELF. 5) RAISE PERSONAL WX MINIMUMS WHEN FLYING AN AIRPLANE I'M LOW IN EXPERIENCE IN. 6) ALWAYS CARRY WITH ME A FLT BAG CONTAINING APPROPRIATE CHARTS AND A FLASHLIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE INSTRUCTOR PLT RELATED THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY OPERATED A SWITCH THAT CAUSED THE RADIO PROB.

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.