Narrative:

I am a cfii at ZZZ1. On aug/thu/05; I was scheduled with a student and planned to work in the pattern at ZZZ1. WX reported at ZZZ2; approximately 12 mi from ZZZ1; was reported as winds out of the southeast; ceilings 1500 ft; visibility 5 mi. This should have been sufficient for pattern work. We departed ZZZ1 at approximately XA15 and approximately 200 ft above the ground we started going into the clouds. I tried to get control of the aircraft from my student to level off and stay out of the clouds; telling him three times I had the airplane. However; my student; who is significantly larger and stronger than myself; apparently froze on the controls. By the time I wrestled the plane from him; we were deep into solid IMC. At that point I did not want to descend to VMC because I was not sure of our location and was worried about descending into terrain or any of the several towers around the ZZZ1 airport. So I proceeded to climb and contacted ZZZ2 approach to 'climb; confess; and comply.' I told ZZZ2 approach that I had inadvertently gotten into IFR conditions and needed a contact approach into ZZZ2; but perhaps should have asked for an ASR or radar approach. I was a little distressed at the time; having just wrestled the aircraft from a student and ending up in IMC. Approach asked if I was IFR rated and I told them I was. They gave me the ILS localizer frequency but I was not in position to receive; so I asked for vectors to the airport. In that aircraft the only equipment I had was a VOR with a CDI that would not center. Approach vectored me towards the ZZZ2 airport and eventually the ground reappeared. I asked for a descent and special VFR back to ZZZ1; they agreed and gave me vectors. We were able to return to ZZZ1 without incident. There are several issues here that caused the problem: the first and most important is the positive exchange of aircraft control was not accomplished in an expeditious manner. My plan in the future is to make sure my students understand when I say I have the aircraft; it means they must let go. Second; I had relied on a WX report that was current; but relative 12 mi away. In the future I will attempt to better assess the immediate local WX before departure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter discussed the incident with her student the next day. He did not realize and had no recollection of what had occurred. Reporter stated the student performs very well; but in this case; froze at the controls. The instructor said when she called approach control to report their situation; she was very excited because for a period of time she was afraid of loss of aircraft control. The boss talked with approach control the next day and the auths did not feel she had done anything 'wrong.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 INSTRUCTOR WITH A STUDENT ENTERED IMC AT 200 FT AFTER TAKEOFF. THE STUDENT DIDN'T RELEASE ACFT CTL REQUIRING THE INSTRUCTOR TO CLB IMC AND REQUEST AN IFR RETURN.

Narrative: I AM A CFII AT ZZZ1. ON AUG/THU/05; I WAS SCHEDULED WITH A STUDENT AND PLANNED TO WORK IN THE PATTERN AT ZZZ1. WX RPTED AT ZZZ2; APPROX 12 MI FROM ZZZ1; WAS RPTED AS WINDS OUT OF THE SE; CEILINGS 1500 FT; VISIBILITY 5 MI. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FOR PATTERN WORK. WE DEPARTED ZZZ1 AT APPROX XA15 AND APPROX 200 FT ABOVE THE GND WE STARTED GOING INTO THE CLOUDS. I TRIED TO GET CTL OF THE ACFT FROM MY STUDENT TO LEVEL OFF AND STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS; TELLING HIM THREE TIMES I HAD THE AIRPLANE. HOWEVER; MY STUDENT; WHO IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER AND STRONGER THAN MYSELF; APPARENTLY FROZE ON THE CTLS. BY THE TIME I WRESTLED THE PLANE FROM HIM; WE WERE DEEP INTO SOLID IMC. AT THAT POINT I DID NOT WANT TO DSND TO VMC BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE OF OUR LOCATION AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT DSNDING INTO TERRAIN OR ANY OF THE SEVERAL TWRS AROUND THE ZZZ1 ARPT. SO I PROCEEDED TO CLB AND CONTACTED ZZZ2 APCH TO 'CLB; CONFESS; AND COMPLY.' I TOLD ZZZ2 APCH THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY GOTTEN INTO IFR CONDITIONS AND NEEDED A CONTACT APCH INTO ZZZ2; BUT PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR AN ASR OR RADAR APCH. I WAS A LITTLE DISTRESSED AT THE TIME; HAVING JUST WRESTLED THE ACFT FROM A STUDENT AND ENDING UP IN IMC. APCH ASKED IF I WAS IFR RATED AND I TOLD THEM I WAS. THEY GAVE ME THE ILS LOC FREQUENCY BUT I WAS NOT IN POSITION TO RECEIVE; SO I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE ARPT. IN THAT ACFT THE ONLY EQUIPMENT I HAD WAS A VOR WITH A CDI THAT WOULD NOT CTR. APCH VECTORED ME TOWARDS THE ZZZ2 ARPT AND EVENTUALLY THE GND REAPPEARED. I ASKED FOR A DSCNT AND SPECIAL VFR BACK TO ZZZ1; THEY AGREED AND GAVE ME VECTORS. WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO ZZZ1 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES HERE THAT CAUSED THE PROB: THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT IS THE POSITIVE EXCHANGE OF ACFT CTL WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. MY PLAN IN THE FUTURE IS TO MAKE SURE MY STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAY I HAVE THE ACFT; IT MEANS THEY MUST LET GO. SECOND; I HAD RELIED ON A WX RPT THAT WAS CURRENT; BUT RELATIVE 12 MI AWAY. IN THE FUTURE I WILL ATTEMPT TO BETTER ASSESS THE IMMEDIATE LOCAL WX BEFORE DEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH HER STUDENT THE NEXT DAY. HE DID NOT REALIZE AND HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED. RPTR STATED THE STUDENT PERFORMS VERY WELL; BUT IN THIS CASE; FROZE AT THE CTLS. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID WHEN SHE CALLED APCH CTL TO RPT THEIR SIT; SHE WAS VERY EXCITED BECAUSE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SHE WAS AFRAID OF LOSS OF ACFT CTL. THE BOSS TALKED WITH APCH CTL THE NEXT DAY AND THE AUTHS DID NOT FEEL SHE HAD DONE ANYTHING 'WRONG.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.