An IMC C172 instructor and student became lost on an ILS approach after the instructor diverted atte...

Attributes
ACN	746942
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hwd.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing : missed approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	746942
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed missed approach
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This was a training flight returning from a long cross country; WX had deteriorated to IMC by our return. We picked up an IFR clearance over sunol for the localizer/DME runway 28 into hayward. After we passed the IAF and were established on the approach norcal instructed us to climb and make a right turn since an aircraft at hwd had not closed his IFR flight plan. After a short delay we were vectored back to the IAF after we were re-established and cleared for the approach we were instructed to switch to CTAF and advised to cancel with oak tower upon landing. Our #1 radio lights were bad and hard to tune in the frequencys so as my student is shooting the approach I had to lean close to the radio to tune in CTAF. As I am almost done setting up the frequency I hear my student say 'oh shoot.' I look over at her and the panel; and it took me a few seconds to realize what was going on -- we were at full scale deflection and 90+ degrees off course; not knowing where we were (or how to get to the missed approach point) I tried to maneuver the plane to get back on course. I must made a few turns but could not figure out where we were -- you are always trained to go to the missed approach point; but I did not know where that was. I should have not trusted my student to make the approach; but we had shot that approach a dozen times and she has had several flts in actual IMC in the past. And knowing oak was right above me I did not want to just climb out of IMC just anywhere; finally I knew I could not determine where we were I attempted to contact norcal -- and contacted oak tower and was instructed to climb immediately and given a heading. We were then vectored away from the airport -- at this point I declared minimum fuel and we diverted to ZZZ and I was instructed to call a number upon landing. The combination of minimum fuel; low ceiling; lack of experience and no cockpit lighting coupled with my loss of situational awareness on approach led to this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMC C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT BECAME LOST ON AN ILS APCH AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR DIVERTED ATTENTION TO RADIO TUNING AND THE STUDENT DEVIATED FROM THE ILS LOC.

Narrative: THIS WAS A TRAINING FLT RETURNING FROM A LONG XCOUNTRY; WX HAD DETERIORATED TO IMC BY OUR RETURN. WE PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC OVER SUNOL FOR THE LOC/DME RWY 28 INTO HAYWARD. AFTER WE PASSED THE IAF AND WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH NORCAL INSTRUCTED US TO CLB AND MAKE A R TURN SINCE AN ACFT AT HWD HAD NOT CLOSED HIS IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER A SHORT DELAY WE WERE VECTORED BACK TO THE IAF AFTER WE WERE RE-ESTABLISHED AND CLRED FOR THE APCH WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO CTAF AND ADVISED TO CANCEL WITH OAK TWR UPON LNDG. OUR #1 RADIO LIGHTS WERE BAD AND HARD TO TUNE IN THE FREQS SO AS MY STUDENT IS SHOOTING THE APCH I HAD TO LEAN CLOSE TO THE RADIO TO TUNE IN CTAF. AS I AM ALMOST DONE SETTING UP THE FREQ I HEAR MY STUDENT SAY 'OH SHOOT.' I LOOK OVER AT HER AND THE PANEL; AND IT TOOK ME A FEW SECONDS TO REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON -- WE WERE AT FULL SCALE DEFLECTION AND 90+ DEGS OFF COURSE; NOT KNOWING WHERE WE WERE (OR HOW TO GET TO THE MISSED APCH POINT) I TRIED TO MANEUVER THE PLANE TO GET BACK ON COURSE. I MUST MADE A FEW TURNS BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WERE -- YOU ARE ALWAYS TRAINED TO GO TO THE MISSED APCH POINT; BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHERE THAT WAS. I SHOULD HAVE NOT TRUSTED MY STUDENT TO MAKE THE APCH; BUT WE HAD SHOT THAT APCH A DOZEN TIMES AND SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL FLTS IN ACTUAL IMC IN THE PAST. AND KNOWING OAK WAS RIGHT ABOVE ME I DID NOT WANT TO JUST CLB OUT OF IMC JUST ANYWHERE; FINALLY I KNEW I COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE WE WERE I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NORCAL -- AND CONTACTED OAK TWR AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLB IMMEDIATELY AND GIVEN A HDG. WE WERE THEN VECTORED AWAY FROM THE ARPT -- AT THIS POINT I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND WE DIVERTED TO ZZZ AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL A NUMBER UPON LNDG. THE COMBINATION OF MINIMUM FUEL; LOW CEILING; LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND NO COCKPIT LIGHTING COUPLED WITH MY LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON APCH LED TO THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.

An IMC C172 instructor and student became lost on an ILS approach after the instructor diverted attention to radio tuning and the student deviated from the ILS localizer.