Instructor and instructor under training in the front seat report altitude deviation on go-around wh...

Attributes
ACN	813042
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Trainer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : military
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	813042
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : military pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	813043
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Instructor under training formation flight. First night lead for instructor at controls. Flight flew a section ILS approach. Climb out instructions were to climb to 3000 ft runway heading. Flight separated on short climb to 3000 ft. Instructor under training at the controls had difficulty maintaining the lead aircraft in a predictable flight regime to expedite the rendezvous and then executed a nonstandard re-confign of the flight; further compounding the confusion. As the rear seat occupant; I said altitude approaching 3000 ft; repeated it to him; he was distraction by the communications with his wingman regarding the confign and light intensity. At this point I deemed it unsafe to take the controls and abruptly level off; at night with the wingman in close proximity. I did inform approach we needed 4000 ft as we were leaving 3400 ft. Flight was debriefed and training will be conducted for all instructors under training. Supplemental information from acn 813043: military night formation training flight (2 aircraft) for lead instructor pilot under training and wingman instructor under training. Section lead executed an ILS to final and detached the wingman for a touch-and-go rejoin. Lead pilot started a slow climb out while the wingman joined. While fixating on airspeed and a joining wingman; lead pilot executed an inadvertent slow climb through assigned altitude of 3000 ft. Lead aircraft pilot leveled at 4000 ft. Lead pilot experienced mild disorientation/vertigo from cultural lighting and hazy conditions during climb out due to focusing on wingman joining (looking back and down while climbing). Lead pilot had 3 night flts in last 4 yrs due to an extended ground tour (out of cockpit assignment). Lead pilot complied with all other ATC questions/instructions during the flight and contacted ATC as instructed after landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING IN THE FRONT SEAT REPORT ALTITUDE DEVIATION ON GO-AROUND WHILE WAITING FOR WING MAN TO REJOIN. INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING CITED LACK OF RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AS PRIMARY CAUSE OF DEVIATION.

Narrative: INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING FORMATION FLT. FIRST NIGHT LEAD FOR INSTRUCTOR AT CTLS. FLT FLEW A SECTION ILS APCH. CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CLB TO 3000 FT RWY HDG. FLT SEPARATED ON SHORT CLB TO 3000 FT. INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING AT THE CTLS HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING THE LEAD ACFT IN A PREDICTABLE FLT REGIME TO EXPEDITE THE RENDEZVOUS AND THEN EXECUTED A NONSTANDARD RE-CONFIGN OF THE FLT; FURTHER COMPOUNDING THE CONFUSION. AS THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT; I SAID ALT APCHING 3000 FT; REPEATED IT TO HIM; HE WAS DISTR BY THE COMS WITH HIS WINGMAN REGARDING THE CONFIGN AND LIGHT INTENSITY. AT THIS POINT I DEEMED IT UNSAFE TO TAKE THE CTLS AND ABRUPTLY LEVEL OFF; AT NIGHT WITH THE WINGMAN IN CLOSE PROX. I DID INFORM APCH WE NEEDED 4000 FT AS WE WERE LEAVING 3400 FT. FLT WAS DEBRIEFED AND TRAINING WILL BE CONDUCTED FOR ALL INSTRUCTORS UNDER TRAINING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 813043: MIL NIGHT FORMATION TRAINING FLT (2 ACFT) FOR LEAD INSTRUCTOR PLT UNDER TRAINING AND WINGMAN INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING. SECTION LEAD EXECUTED AN ILS TO FINAL AND DETACHED THE WINGMAN FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO REJOIN. LEAD PLT STARTED A SLOW CLBOUT WHILE THE WINGMAN JOINED. WHILE FIXATING ON AIRSPD AND A JOINING WINGMAN; LEAD PLT EXECUTED AN INADVERTENT SLOW CLB THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT. LEAD ACFT PLT LEVELED AT 4000 FT. LEAD PLT EXPERIENCED MILD DISORIENTATION/VERTIGO FROM CULTURAL LIGHTING AND HAZY CONDITIONS DURING CLBOUT DUE TO FOCUSING ON WINGMAN JOINING (LOOKING BACK AND DOWN WHILE CLBING). LEAD PLT HAD 3 NIGHT FLTS IN LAST 4 YRS DUE TO AN EXTENDED GND TOUR (OUT OF COCKPIT ASSIGNMENT). LEAD PLT COMPLIED WITH ALL OTHER ATC QUESTIONS/INSTRUCTIONS DURING THE FLT AND CONTACTED ATC AS INSTRUCTED AFTER LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Instructor and instructor under training in the front seat report altitude deviation on go-around while waiting for wing man to rejoin. Instructor under training cited lack of recent flight experience as primary cause of deviation.