Narrative:

Flight was an IFR cross country training flight. This was the first IFR cross country (7d2-jxn-mbs-7d2) with this student, though she had other practice with another instructor. Prior to the flight, we had extensive ground school on IFR flight planning, cross country procedures and especially on operating in and around the area of dtw and the use of sids and stars. Departed oakland-troy (7d2) at XA08Z. Oakland-troy airport is an uncontrolled field, so we picked up our clearance via the phone with a void time. The initial clearance was 'fly heading 240 degrees to harwl then as filed. Climb and maintain 3000 ft expect 4000 ft 10 mins after departure.' departure and climb out were conducted in VFR WX conditions. During climb out, detroit approach amended our altitude to 4000 ft, our final altitude. At 3800 ft I advised my student '200 ft to go,' at which time approach amended our routing to, 'fly heading 240 degrees to intercept the 281 degree radial of detroit (DX0), harwl.' the student was confused as to how to proceed. I was explaining to her what detroit approach wanted us to do when the controller came over the air and said, 'cherokee maintain 4000 ft.' it was then that I looked at the altimeter which read 4400 ft! I reduced power and immediately went back down to 4000 ft. The rest of the flight was uneventful. The reason this incident occurred is because I failed to follow my most sacred rule: aviate- navigation-communicate. Certainly not as an excuse, but just as much a contributing factor, this particular student requires more in the way of explanation than most other instrument students. I felt that our ground school would have resolved the navigation and clearance changes involved in working in the dtw terminal environment. Diverting my attention to answering her question and not monitoring her performance was the proximate cause of the altitude deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH INST STUDENT HAS ALTDEV ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: FLT WAS AN IFR CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING FLT. THIS WAS THE FIRST IFR CROSS COUNTRY (7D2-JXN-MBS-7D2) WITH THIS STUDENT, THOUGH SHE HAD OTHER PRACTICE WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. PRIOR TO THE FLT, WE HAD EXTENSIVE GND SCHOOL ON IFR FLT PLANNING, CROSS COUNTRY PROCS AND ESPECIALLY ON OPERATING IN AND AROUND THE AREA OF DTW AND THE USE OF SIDS AND STARS. DEPARTED OAKLAND-TROY (7D2) AT XA08Z. OAKLAND-TROY ARPT IS AN UNCTLED FIELD, SO WE PICKED UP OUR CLRNC VIA THE PHONE WITH A VOID TIME. THE INITIAL CLRNC WAS 'FLY HEADING 240 DEGS TO HARWL THEN AS FILED. CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT EXPECT 4000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP.' DEP AND CLBOUT WERE CONDUCTED IN VFR WX CONDITIONS. DURING CLBOUT, DETROIT APCH AMENDED OUR ALT TO 4000 FT, OUR FINAL ALT. AT 3800 FT I ADVISED MY STUDENT '200 FT TO GO,' AT WHICH TIME APCH AMENDED OUR ROUTING TO, 'FLY HEADING 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 281 DEG RADIAL OF DETROIT (DX0), HARWL.' THE STUDENT WAS CONFUSED AS TO HOW TO PROCEED. I WAS EXPLAINING TO HER WHAT DETROIT APCH WANTED US TO DO WHEN THE CTLR CAME OVER THE AIR AND SAID, 'CHEROKEE MAINTAIN 4000 FT.' IT WAS THEN THAT I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER WHICH READ 4400 FT! I REDUCED PWR AND IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK DOWN TO 4000 FT. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE REASON THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IS BECAUSE I FAILED TO FOLLOW MY MOST SACRED RULE: AVIATE- NAV-COMMUNICATE. CERTAINLY NOT AS AN EXCUSE, BUT JUST AS MUCH A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, THIS PARTICULAR STUDENT REQUIRES MORE IN THE WAY OF EXPLANATION THAN MOST OTHER INST STUDENTS. I FELT THAT OUR GND SCHOOL WOULD HAVE RESOLVED THE NAV AND CLRNC CHANGES INVOLVED IN WORKING IN THE DTW TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. DIVERTING MY ATTN TO ANSWERING HER QUESTION AND NOT MONITORING HER PERFORMANCE WAS THE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE ALTDEV.

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.