Student pilot failed to level off at initial departure altitude resulting in penetrating class C air...

Attributes
ACN	294319
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdu
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	294319
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On jan/sat/95, I was flying with a student and we inadvertently climbed above a restr altitude in class C airspace. My student and I departed rdu airport for person county airport. We obtained a VFR clearance for the class C airspace that included a heading to turn to, after takeoff, and an altitude restr of 'at or below 2000 ft.' it is important to understand that the student was almost ready for his private pilot flight test and that to make sure that he was ready I wanted to say the least possible. In other words, I wanted to let him make his own mistakes without me helping him out. After takeoff, tower usually hands us off to departure before we reach 2000 ft, but in this case they did not, and we approached 2000 ft. I was paying attention, but wanted to see if my student leveled off without going above 2000 ft. He started to do so, and I was very pleased. I then suggested that he could request frequency change as a way to remind the tower that we were still with them. He did so. At that point I got distracted watching traffic, and then it happened. While my student got the frequency change, and changed to departure, he let his altitude increase. When he switched to departure they were busy, so he did not call right away, and they actually called him and asked 'what is your altitude?' by the tone of the controller's voice I realized that something was wrong, and as I looked at the altimeter (from keeping an eye on the traffic), my student replied 2500 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT INITIAL DEP ALT RESULTING IN PENETRATING CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON JAN/SAT/95, I WAS FLYING WITH A STUDENT AND WE INADVERTENTLY CLBED ABOVE A RESTR ALT IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. MY STUDENT AND I DEPARTED RDU ARPT FOR PERSON COUNTY ARPT. WE OBTAINED A VFR CLRNC FOR THE CLASS C AIRSPACE THAT INCLUDED A HDG TO TURN TO, AFTER TKOF, AND AN ALT RESTR OF 'AT OR BELOW 2000 FT.' IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE STUDENT WAS ALMOST READY FOR HIS PVT PLT FLT TEST AND THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS READY I WANTED TO SAY THE LEAST POSSIBLE. IN OTHER WORDS, I WANTED TO LET HIM MAKE HIS OWN MISTAKES WITHOUT ME HELPING HIM OUT. AFTER TKOF, TWR USUALLY HANDS US OFF TO DEP BEFORE WE REACH 2000 FT, BUT IN THIS CASE THEY DID NOT, AND WE APCHED 2000 FT. I WAS PAYING ATTN, BUT WANTED TO SEE IF MY STUDENT LEVELED OFF WITHOUT GOING ABOVE 2000 FT. HE STARTED TO DO SO, AND I WAS VERY PLEASED. I THEN SUGGESTED THAT HE COULD REQUEST FREQ CHANGE AS A WAY TO REMIND THE TWR THAT WE WERE STILL WITH THEM. HE DID SO. AT THAT POINT I GOT DISTRACTED WATCHING TFC, AND THEN IT HAPPENED. WHILE MY STUDENT GOT THE FREQ CHANGE, AND CHANGED TO DEP, HE LET HIS ALT INCREASE. WHEN HE SWITCHED TO DEP THEY WERE BUSY, SO HE DID NOT CALL RIGHT AWAY, AND THEY ACTUALLY CALLED HIM AND ASKED 'WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' BY THE TONE OF THE CTLR'S VOICE I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, AND AS I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER (FROM KEEPING AN EYE ON THE TFC), MY STUDENT REPLIED 2500 FT.

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.

Student pilot failed to level off at initial departure altitude resulting in penetrating class C airspace.