Narrative:

I was making my first flight of the day with a new student. The wind was very strong, 20-30 KTS. We departed and climbed to the south in very turbulence air. My student was doing an excellent job requiring only my coaching. Normally I conduct lessons at 3000' MSL, but the air was still very rough so I decided to climb to find smoother air and see how my student could do in more reasonable conditions. The air did smooth out around 4000', yet thermals were still present beneath scattered cumulus. We began our level off at 4500', yet did not stop our ascent until 4800', still simply coaching my student. At that instant I caught a twin out of the corner of my eye, approximately 11 O'clock, oncoming and descending. I then took the airplane and made a hard, climbing right turn to avoid, and continued until I had the twin below and to my right. I was now at 5300', very near the edge of the TCA and I began a steep descending spiral down to 2500'. We went back to meacham, where the tower asked if was had been south of downtown at 5500'. They then told me to call TRACON and gave me the phone number. I feel my incident was inadvertent, and also avoidable. I do feel that there should be procedures standardized and tested for on the airman written test. These procedures would promote a pilot's report west/O fear of repercussions. These reports would enable ATC to safely handle each occurrence. I should have called approach control as soon as I realized I might be in the TCA. I know that I was very near the latitude limits. Had I called approach, they could have told me for sure and directed me the quickest way out. As it was I did what I thought best.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATTEMPTING TO FIND SMOOTH AIR FOR A TRAINING FLT, ENCOUNTERED SMT IN DESCENT, RESULT IN STEEP CLIMBING TURN TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND ENDED UP IN THE TCA.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING MY FIRST FLT OF THE DAY WITH A NEW STUDENT. THE WIND WAS VERY STRONG, 20-30 KTS. WE DEPARTED AND CLBED TO THE S IN VERY TURB AIR. MY STUDENT WAS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB REQUIRING ONLY MY COACHING. NORMALLY I CONDUCT LESSONS AT 3000' MSL, BUT THE AIR WAS STILL VERY ROUGH SO I DECIDED TO CLB TO FIND SMOOTHER AIR AND SEE HOW MY STUDENT COULD DO IN MORE REASONABLE CONDITIONS. THE AIR DID SMOOTH OUT AROUND 4000', YET THERMALS WERE STILL PRESENT BENEATH SCATTERED CUMULUS. WE BEGAN OUR LEVEL OFF AT 4500', YET DID NOT STOP OUR ASCENT UNTIL 4800', STILL SIMPLY COACHING MY STUDENT. AT THAT INSTANT I CAUGHT A TWIN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE, APPROX 11 O'CLOCK, ONCOMING AND DSNDING. I THEN TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND MADE A HARD, CLBING RIGHT TURN TO AVOID, AND CONTINUED UNTIL I HAD THE TWIN BELOW AND TO MY RIGHT. I WAS NOW AT 5300', VERY NEAR THE EDGE OF THE TCA AND I BEGAN A STEEP DSNDING SPIRAL DOWN TO 2500'. WE WENT BACK TO MEACHAM, WHERE THE TWR ASKED IF WAS HAD BEEN S OF DOWNTOWN AT 5500'. THEY THEN TOLD ME TO CALL TRACON AND GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER. I FEEL MY INCIDENT WAS INADVERTENT, AND ALSO AVOIDABLE. I DO FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE PROCS STANDARDIZED AND TESTED FOR ON THE AIRMAN WRITTEN TEST. THESE PROCS WOULD PROMOTE A PLT'S RPT W/O FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS. THESE RPTS WOULD ENABLE ATC TO SAFELY HANDLE EACH OCCURRENCE. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED APCH CTL AS SOON AS I REALIZED I MIGHT BE IN THE TCA. I KNOW THAT I WAS VERY NEAR THE LAT LIMITS. HAD I CALLED APCH, THEY COULD HAVE TOLD ME FOR SURE AND DIRECTED ME THE QUICKEST WAY OUT. AS IT WAS I DID WHAT I THOUGHT BEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.