Narrative:

On sep/xa/99, my student and I were coming back from an mei dual flight. My instrument rated student expressed that he wanted to fly the ILS runway 7L into dab. I radioed daytona approach and received our IFR clearance. Cleared dab via radar vectors, altitude 3000 ft. He continued flying and took over the radios. I set my notepad, which I use to copy headings and altitudes, on the floor and paid special attention to his approach procedures for the seneca. Approach cleared us from 3000 ft to 2500 ft and requested our altitude. My student responded that we were at 3000 ft but didn't read the altitude we were cleared to. I disagreed with his use of the radios at that time but said nothing because we were in VFR conditions. I continued looking out for traffic and glanced at the altimeter. It read 2000 ft. I told him we were cleared to 2500 ft and we should climb back up to that assigned altitude. He insisted we were cleared to 1600 ft. I physically held the yoke back to hold 2000 ft. When approach came back and asked our altitude, my student said 2000 ft. She never corrected him, so I second-guessed my earlier recollection of our 2500 ft altitude restr. The controller told us there was other traffic in the area which I told my student I had in sight and he passed that on to approach. It flew well clear of our plane. The controller then cleared us for the approach. I didn't hear the clearance, but my student read it back and claimed to have understood. My student flew the approach, landed, and was instructed to call tower as soon as possible. I called. They were unhappy and I completely understood. The aircraft was at 1600 ft and we were at 2000 ft. Both of us were on an IFR clearance and because of our altitude deviation, approach was not able to keep the mandatory 1000 ft vertical clearance. I just wish they had a recording of what went on in the cockpit. It was my last flight of a very long day. My student was a CFI with 560 hours and he was my best student. His confident demeanor made me second-guess what I really heard. The altitude deviation taught me the true liability of a flight instructor and has led me away from the profession. I am seeking other avenues of hour building where another person's mistake can not threaten my pilot certificate. I fear for my co-workers and the hours required to 'pay the bills.' it is very common for the CFI's in this area to put in 13-14 hour days just to earn 4-6 hours of revenue. This results in high fatigue on the last flight of the day. I'm not the first to express this concern and I won't be the last. I am just glad to be moving on to a safer aviation related field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 CFI'S IN A PA34 HAVE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A MOONEY WHILE EXPERIENCING AN ALTDEV DURING AN INITIAL APCH TO DAB, FL.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/99, MY STUDENT AND I WERE COMING BACK FROM AN MEI DUAL FLT. MY INST RATED STUDENT EXPRESSED THAT HE WANTED TO FLY THE ILS RWY 7L INTO DAB. I RADIOED DAYTONA APCH AND RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC. CLRED DAB VIA RADAR VECTORS, ALT 3000 FT. HE CONTINUED FLYING AND TOOK OVER THE RADIOS. I SET MY NOTEPAD, WHICH I USE TO COPY HDGS AND ALTS, ON THE FLOOR AND PAID SPECIAL ATTN TO HIS APCH PROCS FOR THE SENECA. APCH CLRED US FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT AND REQUESTED OUR ALT. MY STUDENT RESPONDED THAT WE WERE AT 3000 FT BUT DIDN'T READ THE ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. I DISAGREED WITH HIS USE OF THE RADIOS AT THAT TIME BUT SAID NOTHING BECAUSE WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS. I CONTINUED LOOKING OUT FOR TFC AND GLANCED AT THE ALTIMETER. IT READ 2000 FT. I TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED TO 2500 FT AND WE SHOULD CLB BACK UP TO THAT ASSIGNED ALT. HE INSISTED WE WERE CLRED TO 1600 FT. I PHYSICALLY HELD THE YOKE BACK TO HOLD 2000 FT. WHEN APCH CAME BACK AND ASKED OUR ALT, MY STUDENT SAID 2000 FT. SHE NEVER CORRECTED HIM, SO I SECOND-GUESSED MY EARLIER RECOLLECTION OF OUR 2500 FT ALT RESTR. THE CTLR TOLD US THERE WAS OTHER TFC IN THE AREA WHICH I TOLD MY STUDENT I HAD IN SIGHT AND HE PASSED THAT ON TO APCH. IT FLEW WELL CLR OF OUR PLANE. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH. I DIDN'T HEAR THE CLRNC, BUT MY STUDENT READ IT BACK AND CLAIMED TO HAVE UNDERSTOOD. MY STUDENT FLEW THE APCH, LANDED, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL TWR ASAP. I CALLED. THEY WERE UNHAPPY AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. THE ACFT WAS AT 1600 FT AND WE WERE AT 2000 FT. BOTH OF US WERE ON AN IFR CLRNC AND BECAUSE OF OUR ALTDEV, APCH WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE MANDATORY 1000 FT VERT CLRNC. I JUST WISH THEY HAD A RECORDING OF WHAT WENT ON IN THE COCKPIT. IT WAS MY LAST FLT OF A VERY LONG DAY. MY STUDENT WAS A CFI WITH 560 HRS AND HE WAS MY BEST STUDENT. HIS CONFIDENT DEMEANOR MADE ME SECOND-GUESS WHAT I REALLY HEARD. THE ALTDEV TAUGHT ME THE TRUE LIABILITY OF A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND HAS LED ME AWAY FROM THE PROFESSION. I AM SEEKING OTHER AVENUES OF HR BUILDING WHERE ANOTHER PERSON'S MISTAKE CAN NOT THREATEN MY PLT CERTIFICATE. I FEAR FOR MY CO-WORKERS AND THE HRS REQUIRED TO 'PAY THE BILLS.' IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THE CFI'S IN THIS AREA TO PUT IN 13-14 HR DAYS JUST TO EARN 4-6 HRS OF REVENUE. THIS RESULTS IN HIGH FATIGUE ON THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY. I'M NOT THE FIRST TO EXPRESS THIS CONCERN AND I WON'T BE THE LAST. I AM JUST GLAD TO BE MOVING ON TO A SAFER AVIATION RELATED FIELD.

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.