Narrative:

This was a discovery flight for a first time prospective student. Upon completion of a thorough verbal and aircraft preflight, we departed runway 26 at front range airport, elevation 5485'. The objective of the lesson was to introduce the student to a new environment: flying. This was his first time in a small plane. After we were airborne the student informed me that he had forgotten his eyeglasses. The other objective of the lesson was to familiarize the student with the area so as to be able to find the airport in reference to prominent landmarks in the area. After an introduction and demonstration of basic attitude flying, the student assumed control of the aircraft. This included straight/level, level turns, slow flight and on straight ahead power off stall/recovery. The rest of the lesson consisted of area familiarization. By this time we climbed to a safe and legal altitude of 8500' MSL, we were southeast of ftg. We turned from south to west and proceeded toward the den TCA, at 8500' MSL, constantly pointing out prominent landmarks, emphasizing outside cockpit vigilance while maintaining aircraft attitude to outside visibility references while keeping ftg in sight. At the 310 degree right from the kiowa VOR, we proceeded northeast back to ftg for some touch and go lndgs. How problem arose: the problem arose when we penetrated den TCA at about 8000-8500' (student fluctuation in altitude), when we should have been at an altitude of 7500' or less (MSL). Contributing factors: 1) my over concern for the first time student's apprehension, anxiety and nervousness being in an small aircraft for the first time. I was too careful not to introduce him to any negative feelings about flying. 2) constantly emphasizing outside cockpit vigilance for other traffic, especially around the aurora airport and for traffic entering from the southwest to make left-hand pattern lndgs at ftg on runway 26. 3) pointing out landmarks in reference to ftg. 4) pointing out WX conditions associated with a mountainous area while heading west. 5) so as not to overload the student apprehension, plus his lack of experience of INS interpretation, I didn't emphasize INS scan. How discovered: after/during my intro of outside visibility references, area landmarks with reference to the sectional, and my constant outside visibility scanning, I discovered our altitude and position with reference to the TCA during my INS scan. Corrective actions: a controled but immediate descent to 7000' MSL while initiating a turn from north to northeast so as to proceed to ftg. Den approach followed us to ftg, called ftg to inquire the identify of the aircraft on final approach and informed ftg personnel to have the pilot of the aircraft call den approach. The phone call was never made after seeking council. I believe the overall contributing factors were an overconcern for the student's well-being, emphasizing the positives of flying, overemphasis of outside cockpit vigilance on my part, too much concern for landmarks/sectional/airport reference orientation while maintaining a safe altitude in the event of an engine failure and not enough INS scanning techniques instruction to the student, especially near the TCA boundaries. Prevention rests with the PIC to divert his attention to give equal importance to all the priorities of conducting flight instruction.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI GIVING INTRODUCTORY RIDE TO A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT HAS TCA INCURSION NEAR DEN DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED BY HIS TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES.

Narrative: THIS WAS A DISCOVERY FLT FOR A FIRST TIME PROSPECTIVE STUDENT. UPON COMPLETION OF A THOROUGH VERBAL AND ACFT PREFLT, WE DEPARTED RWY 26 AT FRONT RANGE ARPT, ELEVATION 5485'. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON WAS TO INTRODUCE THE STUDENT TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT: FLYING. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME IN A SMALL PLANE. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE THE STUDENT INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN HIS EYEGLASSES. THE OTHER OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON WAS TO FAMILIARIZE THE STUDENT WITH THE AREA SO AS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE ARPT IN REF TO PROMINENT LANDMARKS IN THE AREA. AFTER AN INTRODUCTION AND DEMONSTRATION OF BASIC ATTITUDE FLYING, THE STUDENT ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ACFT. THIS INCLUDED STRAIGHT/LEVEL, LEVEL TURNS, SLOW FLT AND ON STRAIGHT AHEAD PWR OFF STALL/RECOVERY. THE REST OF THE LESSON CONSISTED OF AREA FAMILIARIZATION. BY THIS TIME WE CLBED TO A SAFE AND LEGAL ALT OF 8500' MSL, WE WERE SE OF FTG. WE TURNED FROM S TO W AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE DEN TCA, AT 8500' MSL, CONSTANTLY POINTING OUT PROMINENT LANDMARKS, EMPHASIZING OUTSIDE COCKPIT VIGILANCE WHILE MAINTAINING ACFT ATTITUDE TO OUTSIDE VIS REFERENCES WHILE KEEPING FTG IN SIGHT. AT THE 310 DEG R FROM THE KIOWA VOR, WE PROCEEDED NE BACK TO FTG FOR SOME TOUCH AND GO LNDGS. HOW PROB AROSE: THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE PENETRATED DEN TCA AT ABOUT 8000-8500' (STUDENT FLUCTUATION IN ALT), WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT AN ALT OF 7500' OR LESS (MSL). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MY OVER CONCERN FOR THE FIRST TIME STUDENT'S APPREHENSION, ANXIETY AND NERVOUSNESS BEING IN AN SMA FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS TOO CAREFUL NOT TO INTRODUCE HIM TO ANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT FLYING. 2) CONSTANTLY EMPHASIZING OUTSIDE COCKPIT VIGILANCE FOR OTHER TFC, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE AURORA ARPT AND FOR TFC ENTERING FROM THE SW TO MAKE LEFT-HAND PATTERN LNDGS AT FTG ON RWY 26. 3) POINTING OUT LANDMARKS IN REF TO FTG. 4) POINTING OUT WX CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHILE HDG W. 5) SO AS NOT TO OVERLOAD THE STUDENT APPREHENSION, PLUS HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF INS INTERPRETATION, I DIDN'T EMPHASIZE INS SCAN. HOW DISCOVERED: AFTER/DURING MY INTRO OF OUTSIDE VIS REFERENCES, AREA LANDMARKS WITH REF TO THE SECTIONAL, AND MY CONSTANT OUTSIDE VIS SCANNING, I DISCOVERED OUR ALT AND POS WITH REF TO THE TCA DURING MY INS SCAN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: A CTLED BUT IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 7000' MSL WHILE INITIATING A TURN FROM N TO NE SO AS TO PROCEED TO FTG. DEN APCH FOLLOWED US TO FTG, CALLED FTG TO INQUIRE THE IDENT OF THE ACFT ON FINAL APCH AND INFORMED FTG PERSONNEL TO HAVE THE PLT OF THE ACFT CALL DEN APCH. THE PHONE CALL WAS NEVER MADE AFTER SEEKING COUNCIL. I BELIEVE THE OVERALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE AN OVERCONCERN FOR THE STUDENT'S WELL-BEING, EMPHASIZING THE POSITIVES OF FLYING, OVEREMPHASIS OF OUTSIDE COCKPIT VIGILANCE ON MY PART, TOO MUCH CONCERN FOR LANDMARKS/SECTIONAL/ARPT REF ORIENTATION WHILE MAINTAINING A SAFE ALT IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG FAILURE AND NOT ENOUGH INS SCANNING TECHNIQUES INSTRUCTION TO THE STUDENT, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE TCA BOUNDARIES. PREVENTION RESTS WITH THE PIC TO DIVERT HIS ATTN TO GIVE EQUAL IMPORTANCE TO ALL THE PRIORITIES OF CONDUCTING FLT INSTRUCTION.

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