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A BE55 instructor reports his student's disorientation required his intervention to stabilize the flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 689185 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : zzz.vor |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon tower : smf.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Baron 55/Cochise |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 689185 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We departed on a dual instructional flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1 on a tower en route control IFR flight plan. The IFR student was flying the aircraft. I was working the navigation and communication radios. We were level at 4000 ft MSL and my high time student looked comfortable and in control of the aircraft. While being vectored into a 180 degree turn to intercept the final approach course for our destination. While turning we encountered a small amount of turbulence any my student overctled the aircraft and put us in an unusual attitude. During this time I was reading back our new heading and setting the radios for the approach. Several seconds passed. When I looked over we were in a diving right turn and were well below our assigned altitude. I immediately took control of the airplane and recovered from the unusual attitude. I found the aircraft out of trim and difficult to control from the right seat. From my preflight WX briefing; I knew that we could sort out our problems by climbing to VFR conditions on top of the clouds. I told the approach we need to climb and requested IFR to VFR on top 10000 ft (should have been 10500 ft) which should have put us well clear of the clouds. We then received clearance to the abc VOR and a climb to 10000 ft. We broke out of the clouds at 8000 ft MSL and were able to verify that all system were functioning properly and requested an IFR clearance back to our departure airport. After landing; I was asked to call the TRACON; which I did; and explained my unusual attitude and instrument problem. The lessons I have learned from this are never take your eye off even your most competent student and declare an 'emergency' as soon as you realize you are having a problem complying with the controller's instructions and your clearance. The controllers did not know what my problems were until I could talk to them from the ground later. Had I declared an emergency they would have understood that I needed time and space to reorganize the cockpit for safe IFR flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BE55 INSTRUCTOR RPTS HIS STUDENT'S DISORIENTATION REQUIRED HIS INTERVENTION TO STABILIZE THE FLT.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED ON A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 ON A TWR ENRTE CTL IFR FLT PLAN. THE IFR STUDENT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. I WAS WORKING THE NAV AND COM RADIOS. WE WERE LEVEL AT 4000 FT MSL AND MY HIGH TIME STUDENT LOOKED COMFORTABLE AND IN CTL OF THE ACFT. WHILE BEING VECTORED INTO A 180 DEG TURN TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR OUR DEST. WHILE TURNING WE ENCOUNTERED A SMALL AMOUNT OF TURB ANY MY STUDENT OVERCTLED THE ACFT AND PUT US IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. DURING THIS TIME I WAS READING BACK OUR NEW HDG AND SETTING THE RADIOS FOR THE APCH. SEVERAL SECONDS PASSED. WHEN I LOOKED OVER WE WERE IN A DIVING R TURN AND WERE WELL BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND RECOVERED FROM THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. I FOUND THE ACFT OUT OF TRIM AND DIFFICULT TO CTL FROM THE R SEAT. FROM MY PREFLT WX BRIEFING; I KNEW THAT WE COULD SORT OUT OUR PROBS BY CLBING TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS. I TOLD THE APCH WE NEED TO CLB AND REQUESTED IFR TO VFR ON TOP 10000 FT (SHOULD HAVE BEEN 10500 FT) WHICH SHOULD HAVE PUT US WELL CLR OF THE CLOUDS. WE THEN RECEIVED CLRNC TO THE ABC VOR AND A CLB TO 10000 FT. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 8000 FT MSL AND WERE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT ALL SYS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC BACK TO OUR DEP ARPT. AFTER LNDG; I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TRACON; WHICH I DID; AND EXPLAINED MY UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND INST PROB. THE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS ARE NEVER TAKE YOUR EYE OFF EVEN YOUR MOST COMPETENT STUDENT AND DECLARE AN 'EMER' AS SOON AS YOU REALIZE YOU ARE HAVING A PROB COMPLYING WITH THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND YOUR CLRNC. THE CTLRS DID NOT KNOW WHAT MY PROBS WERE UNTIL I COULD TALK TO THEM FROM THE GND LATER. HAD I DECLARED AN EMER THEY WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT I NEEDED TIME AND SPACE TO REORGANIZE THE COCKPIT FOR SAFE IFR FLT.
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.