An instructor pilot reported that his student; a licensed helicopter instructor; had difficulty navi...

Attributes
ACN	894394
Time
Date	201006
Place
Locale Reference	LAX.Airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Other VFR Corridor
Flight Plan	None
Component
Aircraft Component	GPS & Other Satellite Navigation
Person 1
Function	Instructor Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80 Flight Crew Total 17000 Flight Crew Type 200
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

Student was off course on the initial inbound to the coliseum routing - west of the 120 radial sli. Some discussion revealed that the student was using a GPS track number as a compass heading. Pointed hints to turn right to get back on the sli inbound radial were to no avail. Compounding the error was a frequency change intended for another aircraft with identical last three characters; which we both mis-interpreted. The interesting thing about this deviation is that the student holds an instructor rating in helicopters and is taking a fixed-wing commercial test imminently. It was clear that the concept of GPS navigation was not mastered; and just as clear (later in the flight) that dead-reckoning and pilotage were likewise not in the skill set of this student. I was initially told I would be on board to provide company. I let it get too far off course because; first; I had confidence in the student's basic navigational skills; not having any reason to doubt them; and second; because I could not see the compass; and could not read the GPS numbers with my reading glasses from the back seat. Glimpses of the ground through the marine layer were my first clue that my student was unable to track an inbound course. Is there a lesson here for folks who learn from primary using glass cockpits? Should we go back to requiring navigation using a compass; a watch; and a sectional chart?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An instructor pilot reported that his student; a licensed helicopter instructor; had difficulty navigating their fixed wing aircraft in a complex LAX VFR transition corridor using a GPS; a compass and also lacked basic navigation skills. He trained in an advanced navigation cockpit.

Narrative: Student was off course on the initial inbound to the Coliseum routing - west of the 120 radial SLI. Some discussion revealed that the student was using a GPS track number as a compass heading. Pointed hints to turn right to get back on the SLI inbound radial were to no avail. Compounding the error was a frequency change intended for another aircraft with identical last three characters; which we both mis-interpreted. The interesting thing about this deviation is that the student holds an instructor rating in helicopters and is taking a fixed-wing commercial test imminently. It was clear that the concept of GPS navigation was not mastered; and just as clear (later in the flight) that dead-reckoning and pilotage were likewise not in the skill set of this student. I was initially told I would be on board to provide company. I let it get too far off course because; first; I had confidence in the student's basic navigational skills; not having any reason to doubt them; and second; because I could not see the compass; and could not read the GPS numbers with my reading glasses from the back seat. Glimpses of the ground through the marine layer were my first clue that my student was unable to track an inbound course. Is there a lesson here for folks who learn from primary using glass cockpits? Should we go back to requiring navigation using a compass; a watch; and a sectional chart?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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 instructor pilot reported that his student; a licensed helicopter instructor; had difficulty navigating their fixed wing aircraft in a complex lax VFR transition corridor using a GPS; a compass and also lacked basic navigation skills. He trained in an advanced navigation cockpit.