Narrative:

I was on a VFR private pilot training flight. I was the CFI and my student was on flight #2 of the syllabus. Returning to quantico (nyg) after an uneventful lesson, I instructed the student to establish communication with the tower. We had an ADIZ flight plan on file, and the controller gave us the airport information and we were told to squawk XXXX and report 'ship's graveyard,' a local reporting point. I wrote down the information, and had my student read back. I then told him to descend from 3000 ft to reach ship's graveyard at 1500 ft (MSL). I then pointed out our high ground speed (147 KTS) on the GPS, due to high tailwinds. A couple mi south of ship's graveyard, I recognized that I had gotten side-tracked, and had not yet set in the code. I did immediately. Shortly after, tower asked our position and said we were squawking 1200. I told him I had just reset it. The problem arose from my inattention (due to instructing), and not completing the task before going on to another. A factor was, that I was instructing a new student on second flight, and trying to get him comfortable on the radio. Another factor was high tailwind resulting in higher than normal ground speed. I don't think the situation would have occurred if I was handling the radios myself. I would have set the code right away instead of writing it down for the student to read back. Corrective acton: I will ensure, and stress to my students that they need to have the 3 things before entering the ADIZ: flight plan on file, communication with ATC, and a squawk code in the transponder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT DELAYED SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED CODE PRIOR TO ENTERING DC ADIZ.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR PVT PLT TRAINING FLT. I WAS THE CFI AND MY STUDENT WAS ON FLT #2 OF THE SYLLABUS. RETURNING TO QUANTICO (NYG) AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LESSON, I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE TWR. WE HAD AN ADIZ FLT PLAN ON FILE, AND THE CTLR GAVE US THE ARPT INFO AND WE WERE TOLD TO SQUAWK XXXX AND RPT 'SHIP'S GRAVEYARD,' A LCL RPTING POINT. I WROTE DOWN THE INFO, AND HAD MY STUDENT READ BACK. I THEN TOLD HIM TO DSND FROM 3000 FT TO REACH SHIP'S GRAVEYARD AT 1500 FT (MSL). I THEN POINTED OUT OUR HIGH GND SPD (147 KTS) ON THE GPS, DUE TO HIGH TAILWINDS. A COUPLE MI S OF SHIP'S GRAVEYARD, I RECOGNIZED THAT I HAD GOTTEN SIDE-TRACKED, AND HAD NOT YET SET IN THE CODE. I DID IMMEDIATELY. SHORTLY AFTER, TWR ASKED OUR POS AND SAID WE WERE SQUAWKING 1200. I TOLD HIM I HAD JUST RESET IT. THE PROB AROSE FROM MY INATTENTION (DUE TO INSTRUCTING), AND NOT COMPLETING THE TASK BEFORE GOING ON TO ANOTHER. A FACTOR WAS, THAT I WAS INSTRUCTING A NEW STUDENT ON SECOND FLT, AND TRYING TO GET HIM COMFORTABLE ON THE RADIO. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS HIGH TAILWIND RESULTING IN HIGHER THAN NORMAL GND SPD. I DON'T THINK THE SIT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF I WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS MYSELF. I WOULD HAVE SET THE CODE RIGHT AWAY INSTEAD OF WRITING IT DOWN FOR THE STUDENT TO READ BACK. CORRECTIVE ACTON: I WILL ENSURE, AND STRESS TO MY STUDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE THE 3 THINGS BEFORE ENTERING THE ADIZ: FLT PLAN ON FILE, COM WITH ATC, AND A SQUAWK CODE IN THE 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.