Narrative:

I had been training a pilot in his recently purchased cessna 425 conquest, which had a mechanical problem so we took his cessna 414, which I do not know nearly as well as the C425, and which has a GPS unit I had never shot an approach with. Even though he is qualified in the C414 his wife insists he bring along an instructor. This event takes place on the hvr (havre city, mt) to 6s5 (hamilton, mt) leg of this trip. The first winter storm of the yr was blowing through, but we were missing the bad parts as we cruised over dru (drummond) VOR at 14000 ft with light and very occasionally moderate turbulence. There was light mixed icing which the airplane's equipment easily handled. Suspecting stronger turbulence on the upcoming descent we began stage cooling the motors. I had previously and foolishly selected the GPS-D into missoula to get under the clouds. We requested and received direct to the IAF, nohha, which I thought would be a piece of cake since we could just rely on normal waypoint sequencing from there. The approach was thoroughly reviewed, the freezing level was only 3000 ft or so below us, we had rain. On descent the turbulence increased until we had moderate, occasionally severe turbulence by 12000 ft. I had taken over flying from the right seat and all was going well except for difficulty in keeping the plane under maneuvering speed on descent. Heading to nohha was about 245 degrees as we descended to 11000 ft and were given a vector to intercept of 214 degrees, which looked like a base/downwind and rather unusual. I figured it was a traffic issue so I acknowledged and flew the heading at which time I realized intercepting would be difficult outside the IAF of a GPS approach. Tried to set the GPS up to do this which added to my workload. We were cleared to 11000 ft, then 10000 ft. I was busy, but our ground speed was low due to 65 KT headwinds. At 1000 ft the ice was gone. While fumbling with the GPS in the turbulence, I let the plane climb to 10400 ft immediately after which I told the controller I would get back down to 10000 ft as I battled an updraft. Also during this episode I allowed the plane to get off heading by an embarrassing amount several times. The controller asked about our position as we crossed the approach course for the VOR/DME-B, which she did not know was east of the course for the GPS-D in that area. Obviously concerned that we may run into the bitterroot mountains on the west side of the valley, she gave us a heading of 300 degrees and 9600 ft to intercept then asked again about our position. I responded with our position relative to nohha. At this time I wondered about our position as I fumbled with the GPS to set up an intercept inside of nohha and verified that we had not crossed the 163 degree radial of mso (V331). Unable to figure out how to manually sequence the waypoints, I just selected the next logical waypoint, visve, and kept hitting 'direct-to' as we got closer to the approach course while on the vector. At 9600 ft we were between layers. Under us I could see the valley floor through breaks in the clouds. At 9600 ft and about to intercept my student 'told' me to cancel because hamilton was south of us and he wanted to get going to our destination. I talked him out of this (he protested) as I proceeded to intercept and descend to 8000 ft. Just before or after the visve we broke out into a large clear area, I canceled IFR then gave the controls back to my student. The turbulence wasn't as bad any more -- continuous moderate. He started a turn to the left, but there was a metroliner on the VOR/DME-B just behind us, we were at a point the 2 approach paths (GPS and VOR) joined each other, so I could not see out to the left, so I had him turn right and do a 70/250 to reverse course, which kept us away from the metroliner, who had us in sight. My solution probably got us a little inside the 2000 ft 'clear of clouds' limit, but worked well in keeping us out of the metropolitan's path. The rest of the trip was uneventful in comparison. The problem arose from a number of factors: 1) the SIGMET about the turbulence came out near the end of our flight and we did not receive it. 2) if we didget turbulence PIREPS, we assumed they were associated with convective clouds which we were avoiding nicely. 3) I had never shot an approach with this GPS and had to figure some of it out in difficult flight conditions. I should have chosen the VOR/DME-B approach, but did not because I thought the GPS-D worked better for getting us into hamilton. 4) I was flying from the right seat but used the left panel as its instruments were much better. 5) the controller gave us an unusual vector, which I repeated to her, but in retrospect think may have been incorrect -- should have queried this. 6) later found that the controller did not have an overlay of the GPS-D approach on her screen, but did have the VOR/DME-B. This was why she was worried about us, however, her terrain warnings added to workload while we double-checked our position. Can't blame her though. What I would have done if I knew better all adds up to reducing workload in a difficult situation: 1) switched seats with my student before descent. 2) selected the VOR/DME-B approach. 3) slowed down and stage-cooled the motors even earlier than we did. Pre-briefed my student about distance from clouds criteria for canceling IFR. 5) pre-briefed my student on how he could be of most help to me. All in all a most educational trip for both of us. In the future I will more thoroughly brief with him before we do anything of a critical nature regarding general safety and or FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT PLT HAD AN ALTDEV AND TRACK DEV ON THE APCH INTO MSO. THEY CANCELLED IFR THEN FLEW IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN TRAINING A PLT IN HIS RECENTLY PURCHASED CESSNA 425 CONQUEST, WHICH HAD A MECHANICAL PROB SO WE TOOK HIS CESSNA 414, WHICH I DO NOT KNOW NEARLY AS WELL AS THE C425, AND WHICH HAS A GPS UNIT I HAD NEVER SHOT AN APCH WITH. EVEN THOUGH HE IS QUALIFIED IN THE C414 HIS WIFE INSISTS HE BRING ALONG AN INSTRUCTOR. THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE ON THE HVR (HAVRE CITY, MT) TO 6S5 (HAMILTON, MT) LEG OF THIS TRIP. THE FIRST WINTER STORM OF THE YR WAS BLOWING THROUGH, BUT WE WERE MISSING THE BAD PARTS AS WE CRUISED OVER DRU (DRUMMOND) VOR AT 14000 FT WITH LIGHT AND VERY OCCASIONALLY MODERATE TURB. THERE WAS LIGHT MIXED ICING WHICH THE AIRPLANE'S EQUIP EASILY HANDLED. SUSPECTING STRONGER TURB ON THE UPCOMING DSCNT WE BEGAN STAGE COOLING THE MOTORS. I HAD PREVIOUSLY AND FOOLISHLY SELECTED THE GPS-D INTO MISSOULA TO GET UNDER THE CLOUDS. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED DIRECT TO THE IAF, NOHHA, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD BE A PIECE OF CAKE SINCE WE COULD JUST RELY ON NORMAL WAYPOINT SEQUENCING FROM THERE. THE APCH WAS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED, THE FREEZING LEVEL WAS ONLY 3000 FT OR SO BELOW US, WE HAD RAIN. ON DSCNT THE TURB INCREASED UNTIL WE HAD MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY SEVERE TURB BY 12000 FT. I HAD TAKEN OVER FLYING FROM THE R SEAT AND ALL WAS GOING WELL EXCEPT FOR DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING THE PLANE UNDER MANEUVERING SPD ON DSCNT. HEADING TO NOHHA WAS ABOUT 245 DEGS AS WE DSNDED TO 11000 FT AND WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT OF 214 DEGS, WHICH LOOKED LIKE A BASE/DOWNWIND AND RATHER UNUSUAL. I FIGURED IT WAS A TFC ISSUE SO I ACKNOWLEDGED AND FLEW THE HEADING AT WHICH TIME I REALIZED INTERCEPTING WOULD BE DIFFICULT OUTSIDE THE IAF OF A GPS APCH. TRIED TO SET THE GPS UP TO DO THIS WHICH ADDED TO MY WORKLOAD. WE WERE CLRED TO 11000 FT, THEN 10000 FT. I WAS BUSY, BUT OUR GND SPD WAS LOW DUE TO 65 KT HEADWINDS. AT 1000 FT THE ICE WAS GONE. WHILE FUMBLING WITH THE GPS IN THE TURB, I LET THE PLANE CLB TO 10400 FT IMMEDIATELY AFTER WHICH I TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD GET BACK DOWN TO 10000 FT AS I BATTLED AN UPDRAFT. ALSO DURING THIS EPISODE I ALLOWED THE PLANE TO GET OFF HEADING BY AN EMBARRASSING AMOUNT SEVERAL TIMES. THE CTLR ASKED ABOUT OUR POS AS WE CROSSED THE APCH COURSE FOR THE VOR/DME-B, WHICH SHE DID NOT KNOW WAS E OF THE COURSE FOR THE GPS-D IN THAT AREA. OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED THAT WE MAY RUN INTO THE BITTERROOT MOUNTAINS ON THE W SIDE OF THE VALLEY, SHE GAVE US A HEADING OF 300 DEGS AND 9600 FT TO INTERCEPT THEN ASKED AGAIN ABOUT OUR POS. I RESPONDED WITH OUR POS RELATIVE TO NOHHA. AT THIS TIME I WONDERED ABOUT OUR POS AS I FUMBLED WITH THE GPS TO SET UP AN INTERCEPT INSIDE OF NOHHA AND VERIFIED THAT WE HAD NOT CROSSED THE 163 DEG RADIAL OF MSO (V331). UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANUALLY SEQUENCE THE WAYPOINTS, I JUST SELECTED THE NEXT LOGICAL WAYPOINT, VISVE, AND KEPT HITTING 'DIRECT-TO' AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE APCH COURSE WHILE ON THE VECTOR. AT 9600 FT WE WERE BTWN LAYERS. UNDER US I COULD SEE THE VALLEY FLOOR THROUGH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS. AT 9600 FT AND ABOUT TO INTERCEPT MY STUDENT 'TOLD' ME TO CANCEL BECAUSE HAMILTON WAS S OF US AND HE WANTED TO GET GOING TO OUR DEST. I TALKED HIM OUT OF THIS (HE PROTESTED) AS I PROCEEDED TO INTERCEPT AND DSND TO 8000 FT. JUST BEFORE OR AFTER THE VISVE WE BROKE OUT INTO A LARGE CLR AREA, I CANCELED IFR THEN GAVE THE CTLS BACK TO MY STUDENT. THE TURB WASN'T AS BAD ANY MORE -- CONTINUOUS MODERATE. HE STARTED A TURN TO THE L, BUT THERE WAS A METROLINER ON THE VOR/DME-B JUST BEHIND US, WE WERE AT A POINT THE 2 APCH PATHS (GPS AND VOR) JOINED EACH OTHER, SO I COULD NOT SEE OUT TO THE L, SO I HAD HIM TURN R AND DO A 70/250 TO REVERSE COURSE, WHICH KEPT US AWAY FROM THE METROLINER, WHO HAD US IN SIGHT. MY SOLUTION PROBABLY GOT US A LITTLE INSIDE THE 2000 FT 'CLR OF CLOUDS' LIMIT, BUT WORKED WELL IN KEEPING US OUT OF THE METRO'S PATH. THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL IN COMPARISON. THE PROB AROSE FROM A NUMBER OF FACTORS: 1) THE SIGMET ABOUT THE TURB CAME OUT NEAR THE END OF OUR FLT AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT. 2) IF WE DIDGET TURB PIREPS, WE ASSUMED THEY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH CONVECTIVE CLOUDS WHICH WE WERE AVOIDING NICELY. 3) I HAD NEVER SHOT AN APCH WITH THIS GPS AND HAD TO FIGURE SOME OF IT OUT IN DIFFICULT FLT CONDITIONS. I SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE VOR/DME-B APCH, BUT DID NOT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE GPS-D WORKED BETTER FOR GETTING US INTO HAMILTON. 4) I WAS FLYING FROM THE R SEAT BUT USED THE L PANEL AS ITS INSTS WERE MUCH BETTER. 5) THE CTLR GAVE US AN UNUSUAL VECTOR, WHICH I REPEATED TO HER, BUT IN RETROSPECT THINK MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECT -- SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THIS. 6) LATER FOUND THAT THE CTLR DID NOT HAVE AN OVERLAY OF THE GPS-D APCH ON HER SCREEN, BUT DID HAVE THE VOR/DME-B. THIS WAS WHY SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT US, HOWEVER, HER TERRAIN WARNINGS ADDED TO WORKLOAD WHILE WE DOUBLE-CHKED OUR POS. CAN'T BLAME HER THOUGH. WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF I KNEW BETTER ALL ADDS UP TO REDUCING WORKLOAD IN A DIFFICULT SIT: 1) SWITCHED SEATS WITH MY STUDENT BEFORE DSCNT. 2) SELECTED THE VOR/DME-B APCH. 3) SLOWED DOWN AND STAGE-COOLED THE MOTORS EVEN EARLIER THAN WE DID. PRE-BRIEFED MY STUDENT ABOUT DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS CRITERIA FOR CANCELING IFR. 5) PRE-BRIEFED MY STUDENT ON HOW HE COULD BE OF MOST HELP TO ME. ALL IN ALL A MOST EDUCATIONAL TRIP FOR BOTH OF US. IN THE FUTURE I WILL MORE THOROUGHLY BRIEF WITH HIM BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING OF A CRITICAL NATURE REGARDING GENERAL SAFETY AND OR FARS.

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.