Narrative:

I was on a training flight in an FAA beech C90 aircraft. I was flying as pilot (sic) with an FAA instructor/chkplt flying as instructor (PIC) in the right seat. We were on an IFR clearance in visual conditions, and requested a block of airspace to perform VFR maneuvers. Initially, we were granted a block altitude between 8000 ft and 9000 ft MSL. Later, the controller amended the altitude to 8000 ft. After performing steep turns, stalls, and simulated single engine procedures, the instructor requested that I close my eyes and fly the aircraft to demonstrate a recovery from an unusual attitude. I remembered the 8000 ft restr, but didn't say anything, because I was sure the instructor was also aware of the clearance restr. After a min or so of flying with my eyes closed, I was told to open my eyes and 'recover.' I noticed immediately that we were at 7500 ft. I began an immediate climb back to 8000 ft. Simultaneously, the controller advised that our altitude was indicating 7200 ft. We were advised to call ATC upon landing to discuss a 'possible' pilot deviation. I asked the instructor why this happened, and he stated that he was concentrating on the instructing and watching for traffic, and didn't pay attention to the altitude. Supplemental information from acn 585860: I was acting as PIC/captain conducting recurrent training for another FAA pilot. Our maneuver profile was conducted in VMC and consisted of stalls, steep turns, single-engine maneuvers, a VMC demonstration, and unusual attitude recovery training. At no time immediately preceding nor during the altitude excursion was any conflicting air traffic advisory issued. The principal issue in creating the altitude deviation was my failure to maintain vigilance and take prompt action to correct the excursions before it became excessive. I allowed the scenario to develop too far. An ancillary issue throughout the flight was the reliability of our transponder reply. I recycled the transponder to standby, and then back on. A bit later, I was again advised about our transponder not replying. I again recycled, including a recycle of the mode C feature. Prior to our second handoff back to tampa approach en route to lal, we were assigned a third squawk code. When I telephoned jacksonville approach regarding the deviation, I asked about our transponder reply difficulties, and was advised that jacksonville was having trouble reading each of the assigned squawk codes. I suspected that the problems were intermittent or sporadic. When I returned to aircraft base, I initiated a maintenance write-up concerning the possible faulty transponder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH C90 FAA CREW, DURING FLT TRAINING, DEPARTED FROM THEIR ASSIGNED ALT IN JAX AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT IN AN FAA BEECH C90 ACFT. I WAS FLYING AS PLT (SIC) WITH AN FAA INSTRUCTOR/CHKPLT FLYING AS INSTRUCTOR (PIC) IN THE R SEAT. WE WERE ON AN IFR CLRNC IN VISUAL CONDITIONS, AND REQUESTED A BLOCK OF AIRSPACE TO PERFORM VFR MANEUVERS. INITIALLY, WE WERE GRANTED A BLOCK ALT BTWN 8000 FT AND 9000 FT MSL. LATER, THE CTLR AMENDED THE ALT TO 8000 FT. AFTER PERFORMING STEEP TURNS, STALLS, AND SIMULATED SINGLE ENG PROCS, THE INSTRUCTOR REQUESTED THAT I CLOSE MY EYES AND FLY THE ACFT TO DEMONSTRATE A RECOVERY FROM AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. I REMEMBERED THE 8000 FT RESTR, BUT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, BECAUSE I WAS SURE THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE CLRNC RESTR. AFTER A MIN OR SO OF FLYING WITH MY EYES CLOSED, I WAS TOLD TO OPEN MY EYES AND 'RECOVER.' I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WE WERE AT 7500 FT. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB BACK TO 8000 FT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CTLR ADVISED THAT OUR ALT WAS INDICATING 7200 FT. WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL ATC UPON LNDG TO DISCUSS A 'POSSIBLE' PLTDEV. I ASKED THE INSTRUCTOR WHY THIS HAPPENED, AND HE STATED THAT HE WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE INSTRUCTING AND WATCHING FOR TFC, AND DIDN'T PAY ATTN TO THE ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 585860: I WAS ACTING AS PIC/CAPT CONDUCTING RECURRENT TRAINING FOR ANOTHER FAA PLT. OUR MANEUVER PROFILE WAS CONDUCTED IN VMC AND CONSISTED OF STALLS, STEEP TURNS, SINGLE-ENG MANEUVERS, A VMC DEMONSTRATION, AND UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERY TRAINING. AT NO TIME IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING NOR DURING THE ALT EXCURSION WAS ANY CONFLICTING AIR TFC ADVISORY ISSUED. THE PRINCIPAL ISSUE IN CREATING THE ALTDEV WAS MY FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VIGILANCE AND TAKE PROMPT ACTION TO CORRECT THE EXCURSIONS BEFORE IT BECAME EXCESSIVE. I ALLOWED THE SCENARIO TO DEVELOP TOO FAR. AN ANCILLARY ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE FLT WAS THE RELIABILITY OF OUR XPONDER REPLY. I RECYCLED THE XPONDER TO STANDBY, AND THEN BACK ON. A BIT LATER, I WAS AGAIN ADVISED ABOUT OUR XPONDER NOT REPLYING. I AGAIN RECYCLED, INCLUDING A RECYCLE OF THE MODE C FEATURE. PRIOR TO OUR SECOND HDOF BACK TO TAMPA APCH ENRTE TO LAL, WE WERE ASSIGNED A THIRD SQUAWK CODE. WHEN I TELEPHONED JACKSONVILLE APCH REGARDING THE DEV, I ASKED ABOUT OUR XPONDER REPLY DIFFICULTIES, AND WAS ADVISED THAT JACKSONVILLE WAS HAVING TROUBLE READING EACH OF THE ASSIGNED SQUAWK CODES. I SUSPECTED THAT THE PROBS WERE INTERMITTENT OR SPORADIC. WHEN I RETURNED TO ACFT BASE, I INITIATED A MAINT WRITE-UP CONCERNING THE POSSIBLE FAULTY XPONDER.

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.