Narrative:

This was an instrument training flight, the second to last flight before the part 141 stage check for the course. The flight was conducted on a VFR day although there was a scattered to broken layer of clouds between 2900 ft MSL to about 3700 ft MSL. The original sequence of practice approachs was the VOR/DME 22 approach followed by the ILS runway 32R approach. After takeoff we were handed over from tower to the northeast approach controller and asked if we could accept a change in our approach requests. We were asked to do the ILS runway 32R approach first and then the VOR 22 approach. As the flight instructor I thought this would be very beneficial to my student because he would now have to set up for a new approach after already having everything set for the approach he expected to get. We were given a 090 degree heading and maintain 4000 ft and to expect direct to veals in a couple mins. After a couple mins, we were told to fly heading 160 degrees, proceed direct veals when able, and intercept and track the final approach course outbound. At this point my student was very behind the airplane. He was able to figure out how to go direct to veals a couple of mi before we reached the fix, but still had not tuned in, idented, or set up his navigation at all for the ILS approach. Because my student was so close to his check ride, I continued to give him time in the hope that he would catch up and be able to set in everything for the approach. ATC informed us that there was traffic on the approach at 3000 ft inbound and that we were cleared for the procedure but to maintain 4000 ft. At this point my student was starting to catch up to the airplane and was getting the approach set in. I could look back out the window and see the airport and runway so I knew we were a little south of course, but not too far off. While he was setting up for the approach, he started to ignore his altitude and started descending. Upon reaching 3800 ft, I told him to look at his altitude and just after I did this, ATC told us to maintain 4000 ft. Shortly after ATC called to tell us maintain 4000 ft, they transmitted again and told us we were cleared for the ILS runway 32R approach. I set up the rest of the approach that he had not set in yet. While I was doing this, we continued to climb past 4000 ft. We were between 4300-4400 ft when ATC transmitted again to maintain 4000 ft. After this transmission, I took the airplane and descended down to the altitude we were supposed to be at. I completed the procedure turn and re-established us inbound on the approach and then I gave the airplane back to my student. After getting back on the ground, I realized that I may have let him go too far, in the future if he was not corrected after 100 ft of deviation I will take the airplane and correct the altitude for him. When my student failed to perform the way I know he was capable of performing and was making errors that he had not made since the beginning of training I got upset and frustrated because I knew he could fly better than this. Emotion got the best of me and I have learned that the limit to set for myself is 100 ft of error and that I should never let it get beyond that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-181 INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED HIS INST STUDENT EXCESSIVE ALTDEVS DURING AN INTENSE APCH TRAINING PERIOD.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN INST TRAINING FLT, THE SECOND TO LAST FLT BEFORE THE PART 141 STAGE CHK FOR THE COURSE. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED ON A VFR DAY ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS BTWN 2900 FT MSL TO ABOUT 3700 FT MSL. THE ORIGINAL SEQUENCE OF PRACTICE APCHS WAS THE VOR/DME 22 APCH FOLLOWED BY THE ILS RWY 32R APCH. AFTER TKOF WE WERE HANDED OVER FROM TWR TO THE NE APCH CTLR AND ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT A CHANGE IN OUR APCH REQUESTS. WE WERE ASKED TO DO THE ILS RWY 32R APCH FIRST AND THEN THE VOR 22 APCH. AS THE FLT INSTRUCTOR I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO MY STUDENT BECAUSE HE WOULD NOW HAVE TO SET UP FOR A NEW APCH AFTER ALREADY HAVING EVERYTHING SET FOR THE APCH HE EXPECTED TO GET. WE WERE GIVEN A 090 DEG HDG AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND TO EXPECT DIRECT TO VEALS IN A COUPLE MINS. AFTER A COUPLE MINS, WE WERE TOLD TO FLY HDG 160 DEGS, PROCEED DIRECT VEALS WHEN ABLE, AND INTERCEPT AND TRACK THE FINAL APCH COURSE OUTBOUND. AT THIS POINT MY STUDENT WAS VERY BEHIND THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO DIRECT TO VEALS A COUPLE OF MI BEFORE WE REACHED THE FIX, BUT STILL HAD NOT TUNED IN, IDENTED, OR SET UP HIS NAV AT ALL FOR THE ILS APCH. BECAUSE MY STUDENT WAS SO CLOSE TO HIS CHK RIDE, I CONTINUED TO GIVE HIM TIME IN THE HOPE THAT HE WOULD CATCH UP AND BE ABLE TO SET IN EVERYTHING FOR THE APCH. ATC INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS TFC ON THE APCH AT 3000 FT INBOUND AND THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE PROC BUT TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AT THIS POINT MY STUDENT WAS STARTING TO CATCH UP TO THE AIRPLANE AND WAS GETTING THE APCH SET IN. I COULD LOOK BACK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THE ARPT AND RWY SO I KNEW WE WERE A LITTLE S OF COURSE, BUT NOT TOO FAR OFF. WHILE HE WAS SETTING UP FOR THE APCH, HE STARTED TO IGNORE HIS ALT AND STARTED DSNDING. UPON REACHING 3800 FT, I TOLD HIM TO LOOK AT HIS ALT AND JUST AFTER I DID THIS, ATC TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER ATC CALLED TO TELL US MAINTAIN 4000 FT, THEY XMITTED AGAIN AND TOLD US WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 32R APCH. I SET UP THE REST OF THE APCH THAT HE HAD NOT SET IN YET. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, WE CONTINUED TO CLB PAST 4000 FT. WE WERE BTWN 4300-4400 FT WHEN ATC XMITTED AGAIN TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AFTER THIS XMISSION, I TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND DSNDED DOWN TO THE ALT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT. I COMPLETED THE PROC TURN AND RE-ESTABLISHED US INBOUND ON THE APCH AND THEN I GAVE THE AIRPLANE BACK TO MY STUDENT. AFTER GETTING BACK ON THE GND, I REALIZED THAT I MAY HAVE LET HIM GO TOO FAR, IN THE FUTURE IF HE WAS NOT CORRECTED AFTER 100 FT OF DEV I WILL TAKE THE AIRPLANE AND CORRECT THE ALT FOR HIM. WHEN MY STUDENT FAILED TO PERFORM THE WAY I KNOW HE WAS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING AND WAS MAKING ERRORS THAT HE HAD NOT MADE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TRAINING I GOT UPSET AND FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I KNEW HE COULD FLY BETTER THAN THIS. EMOTION GOT THE BEST OF ME AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE LIMIT TO SET FOR MYSELF IS 100 FT OF ERROR AND THAT I SHOULD NEVER LET IT GET BEYOND THAT.

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.