Narrative:

My student and I departed sjc on a VFR class C clearance. Proceeding southeast, we were given a heading to keep us to the right of the inbound final approach course for inbound airline traffic. Approximately 5 mi out, we were told by bay departure to 'resume own navigation.' approximately 15 mi out, we saw head-on airline traffic approaching head-on, and both of us had to take evasive action. After we had passed, I realized that our selected communication radio had somehow been switched off of bay departure, which explained why we had not gotten TA's. We re-established contact, and bay departure confirmed that they had been trying to reach us. Ironically, I was explaining to my student that we needed to stay on departure frequency until they assigned a new one or advised us that frequency change was approved. At that point, one of us inadvertently 'flipped the switch.' the main factors were: inadequate preflight briefing and preparation of the student by the instructor on class C ATC procedures in congested airspace, trying to explain too much during a period of high workload, and distrs. One of the items I was trying to explain was a procedure for using #2 communication to monitor traffic at our next destination, an uncontrolled airport 30 mi southeast of sjc. This ended up contributing to the confusion, since it appears that my student flipped the #1 communication switch instead of tuning the CTAF in #2 communication. In retrospect, I believe it would have been better to let this wait until we were well out of sjc airspace, even if it meant circling over our destination while we got ASOS and TA's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT INSTRUCTOR AND TRAINEE LOST COM WITH DEP CTLR IN SJC CLASS C AIRSPACE AND AS A RESULT, A LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION LTSS OCCURRED WITH AN ACR ACFT.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I DEPARTED SJC ON A VFR CLASS C CLRNC. PROCEEDING SE, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO KEEP US TO THE R OF THE INBOUND FINAL APCH COURSE FOR INBOUND AIRLINE TFC. APPROX 5 MI OUT, WE WERE TOLD BY BAY DEP TO 'RESUME OWN NAV.' APPROX 15 MI OUT, WE SAW HEAD-ON AIRLINE TFC APCHING HEAD-ON, AND BOTH OF US HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. AFTER WE HAD PASSED, I REALIZED THAT OUR SELECTED COM RADIO HAD SOMEHOW BEEN SWITCHED OFF OF BAY DEP, WHICH EXPLAINED WHY WE HAD NOT GOTTEN TA'S. WE RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT, AND BAY DEP CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH US. IRONICALLY, I WAS EXPLAINING TO MY STUDENT THAT WE NEEDED TO STAY ON DEP FREQ UNTIL THEY ASSIGNED A NEW ONE OR ADVISED US THAT FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED. AT THAT POINT, ONE OF US INADVERTENTLY 'FLIPPED THE SWITCH.' THE MAIN FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLT BRIEFING AND PREPARATION OF THE STUDENT BY THE INSTRUCTOR ON CLASS C ATC PROCS IN CONGESTED AIRSPACE, TRYING TO EXPLAIN TOO MUCH DURING A PERIOD OF HIGH WORKLOAD, AND DISTRS. ONE OF THE ITEMS I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN WAS A PROC FOR USING #2 COM TO MONITOR TFC AT OUR NEXT DEST, AN UNCTLED ARPT 30 MI SE OF SJC. THIS ENDED UP CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFUSION, SINCE IT APPEARS THAT MY STUDENT FLIPPED THE #1 COM SWITCH INSTEAD OF TUNING THE CTAF IN #2 COM. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO LET THIS WAIT UNTIL WE WERE WELL OUT OF SJC AIRSPACE, EVEN IF IT MEANT CIRCLING OVER OUR DEST WHILE WE GOT ASOS AND TA'S.

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.