Narrative:

The pilot had been having altitude control problems during the flight from sac to sck; but had kept it between 100 ft low to 100 ft high. It was something I was going to discuss once we were on the ground. We conducted an ILS with a full stop and a taxi back with a rejected takeoff. Once off we went to the VOR and held there. Again altitude hold was an issue during the hold. The VOR approach was completed and the pilot requested a published missed approach to orang. The controller issued the clearance and gave an altitude of 3000 ft. I asked the pilot to arrange for block altitude to do some air-work around wager. The controller told the pilot that he didn't think that he could arrange an IFR clearance; but asked if he could do it in VFR. The pilot told the controller; that's ok. The pilot was cleared to wager intersection and started to input wager into the GPS unit as he approached orang. He entered the wrong name and had to look on the map. I was trying to look outside for traffic and when I looked back into the cockpit the altimeter read 3600 ft. I was not sure if I had missed the clearance or misunderstood the controller in regards to the VFR versus IFR because of my previous headset problems. I observed a cessna coming towards us just as the controller asked what the pilot was doing. The pilot quickly pushed the nose down and again tried to input wager. I was not sure if we had a pilot deviation at that time as I was still unsure of the status of the flight being IFR or VFR. The controller solved that problem when he informed the pilot to call the center. The pilot asked what that meant for the check ride and I informed him that it was an unsatisfactory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DORNIER SA228 PLT HAS AN ALTDEV DURING AN INST CHK RIDE.

Narrative: THE PLT HAD BEEN HAVING ALT CTL PROBS DURING THE FLT FROM SAC TO SCK; BUT HAD KEPT IT BTWN 100 FT LOW TO 100 FT HIGH. IT WAS SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO DISCUSS ONCE WE WERE ON THE GND. WE CONDUCTED AN ILS WITH A FULL STOP AND A TAXI BACK WITH A REJECTED TKOF. ONCE OFF WE WENT TO THE VOR AND HELD THERE. AGAIN ALT HOLD WAS AN ISSUE DURING THE HOLD. THE VOR APCH WAS COMPLETED AND THE PLT REQUESTED A PUBLISHED MISSED APCH TO ORANG. THE CTLR ISSUED THE CLRNC AND GAVE AN ALT OF 3000 FT. I ASKED THE PLT TO ARRANGE FOR BLOCK ALT TO DO SOME AIR-WORK AROUND WAGER. THE CTLR TOLD THE PLT THAT HE DIDN'T THINK THAT HE COULD ARRANGE AN IFR CLRNC; BUT ASKED IF HE COULD DO IT IN VFR. THE PLT TOLD THE CTLR; THAT'S OK. THE PLT WAS CLRED TO WAGER INTXN AND STARTED TO INPUT WAGER INTO THE GPS UNIT AS HE APCHED ORANG. HE ENTERED THE WRONG NAME AND HAD TO LOOK ON THE MAP. I WAS TRYING TO LOOK OUTSIDE FOR TFC AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK INTO THE COCKPIT THE ALTIMETER READ 3600 FT. I WAS NOT SURE IF I HAD MISSED THE CLRNC OR MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR IN REGARDS TO THE VFR VERSUS IFR BECAUSE OF MY PREVIOUS HEADSET PROBS. I OBSERVED A CESSNA COMING TOWARDS US JUST AS THE CTLR ASKED WHAT THE PLT WAS DOING. THE PLT QUICKLY PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND AGAIN TRIED TO INPUT WAGER. I WAS NOT SURE IF WE HAD A PLTDEV AT THAT TIME AS I WAS STILL UNSURE OF THE STATUS OF THE FLT BEING IFR OR VFR. THE CTLR SOLVED THAT PROB WHEN HE INFORMED THE PLT TO CALL THE CTR. THE PLT ASKED WHAT THAT MEANT FOR THE CHK RIDE AND I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS AN UNSATISFACTORY.

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.