Narrative:

I was intending to give one of my instrument students a lesson on flying approachs in actual conditions. Through late morning and early afternoon conditions were being reported 1100 ft to 1800 ft ceilings and 6 mi visibility. A little after XA00 pm local time my student obtained a WX briefing for an IFR training flight to grr. Flight service reported 1800 ft ceilings and 6 mi visibility for both grr and lan, which are inland from lake michigan. We were not given any WX information from the airports along the lakeshore, and we did not ask (1ST mistake). We were also trying to familiarize ourselves with some rather sophisticated equipment in the owner's airplane (2ND mistake). This caused a delay and we did not get off the ground until after XB00 local time. Upon reaching 400 ft AGL, we were at the base of an overcast layer (we were intending to go up to 1000 ft AGL and get a local IFR into grr). I instructed my student to level off to stay clear of the cloud layer and to keep the runway in sight. We are based at an airport out in the country, without an instrument approach, so our course of action was to fly a tight circling approach, and after a few tense moments landed safely. It could be argued that I was legal the whole time, however, such activity is clearly unsafe. Upon landing we called and asked for the flight conditions at biv which is along the lakeshore. Biv was reporting 400 ft AGL and 4 mi visibility. It was shortsightedness on my part, not getting a more thorough WX briefing and not having a better understanding of the owner's equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF A PIPER SENECA, PA34, INSTRUCTED THE INST STUDENT TO LEVEL OFF AND STAY CLR OF THE 400 FT OVCST AND RETURN TO LAND AT A NON TWR INST APCH ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS INTENDING TO GIVE ONE OF MY INST STUDENTS A LESSON ON FLYING APCHS IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS. THROUGH LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON CONDITIONS WERE BEING RPTED 1100 FT TO 1800 FT CEILINGS AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. A LITTLE AFTER XA00 PM LCL TIME MY STUDENT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FOR AN IFR TRAINING FLT TO GRR. FLT SVC RPTED 1800 FT CEILINGS AND 6 MI VISIBILITY FOR BOTH GRR AND LAN, WHICH ARE INLAND FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY WX INFO FROM THE ARPTS ALONG THE LAKESHORE, AND WE DID NOT ASK (1ST MISTAKE). WE WERE ALSO TRYING TO FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES WITH SOME RATHER SOPHISTICATED EQUIP IN THE OWNER'S AIRPLANE (2ND MISTAKE). THIS CAUSED A DELAY AND WE DID NOT GET OFF THE GND UNTIL AFTER XB00 LCL TIME. UPON REACHING 400 FT AGL, WE WERE AT THE BASE OF AN OVCST LAYER (WE WERE INTENDING TO GO UP TO 1000 FT AGL AND GET A LCL IFR INTO GRR). I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO LEVEL OFF TO STAY CLR OF THE CLOUD LAYER AND TO KEEP THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE ARE BASED AT AN ARPT OUT IN THE COUNTRY, WITHOUT AN INST APCH, SO OUR COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO FLY A TIGHT CIRCLING APCH, AND AFTER A FEW TENSE MOMENTS LANDED SAFELY. IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT I WAS LEGAL THE WHOLE TIME, HOWEVER, SUCH ACTIVITY IS CLRLY UNSAFE. UPON LNDG WE CALLED AND ASKED FOR THE FLT CONDITIONS AT BIV WHICH IS ALONG THE LAKESHORE. BIV WAS RPTING 400 FT AGL AND 4 MI VISIBILITY. IT WAS SHORTSIGHTEDNESS ON MY PART, NOT GETTING A MORE THOROUGH WX BRIEFING AND NOT HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OWNER'S EQUIP.

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.