Narrative:

As a cfii, I was returning from an instrument training cross country flight from santa barbara to van nuys. Conditions were solid IMC with moderate turbulence along the route. My student (a low time private pilot working towards an instrument rating) was flying from the left seat. As we approached vny, ATIS reported ceiling as 800 ft overcast with 1 mi visibility. We were cleared for the ILS runway 16R approach. My student intercepted the localizer but immediately failed to adequately correct for a strong crosswind from the west. I repeatedly advised the student to make appropriate corrections in order to remain on the localizer. Approximately 6-7 mi north of van nuys, we experienced full localizer needle deflection. I informed my student that I would assume responsibility for flying the aircraft. I informed van nuys tower that we would need to execute a missed approach. I was immediately advised by tower to return to the socal approach frequency. As I switched back to the socal frequency, I began executing a right turn to reintercept the localizer and leveled off at approximately 4300-4500 ft. My intention was to reintercept the localizer and track inbound to the missed approach point. When I contacted socal approach, I was advised something to the effect of 'you can't just come back on this frequency.' when I advised that I was following ATC instructions from vny tower to switch frequencys, the socal controller told me to climb immediately to achieve MVA of 5000 ft MSL. During this exchange, we were traversing an area of moderate plus turbulence. At this point, turbulence, and I am guessing my preoccupation with ATC communications and my student's welfare, resulted in the aircraft being flown into a steep climbing left turn confign. We were solid IMC in dark conditions. After what I would estimate to be 10-15 seconds of recovery, I was able to return the aircraft to a straight and level attitude and level at 5000 ft MSL. The recovery resulted in us diverging east of the localizer course and caused me to request a terrain clearance vector from ATC. Vectors back to the vny runway 16R ILS resulted in a fairly uneventful ILS approach into vny (although our GS seemed to have reduced sensitivity which we squawked upon landing). 2 human factors come to play in this scenario: 1) although we want to allow our students the room to err and learn, I feel that, after my student failed to respond to my repeated verbal coachings to turn right and correct for the crosswind, I should have taken responsibility for flying the aircraft earlier, preventing us from achieving full localizer needle deflection. 2) as in all instrument flying, fly the airplane first. I allowed myself to become distracted from the primary task while flying a missed approach in turbulent solid IMC conditions. I am thankful that this incident did not result in injury to persons or damage to property. I hope that this information will assist other pilots and flight instructors in avoiding similar experiences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXECUTING A GAR, INSTRUCTOR PLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND TEMPORARILY LOST CTL OF ACFT. DISTRACTIONS AND TURB CONTRIBUTED.

Narrative: AS A CFII, I WAS RETURNING FROM AN INST TRAINING XCOUNTRY FLT FROM SANTA BARBARA TO VAN NUYS. CONDITIONS WERE SOLID IMC WITH MODERATE TURB ALONG THE RTE. MY STUDENT (A LOW TIME PVT PLT WORKING TOWARDS AN INST RATING) WAS FLYING FROM THE L SEAT. AS WE APCHED VNY, ATIS RPTED CEILING AS 800 FT OVCST WITH 1 MI VISIBILITY. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 16R APCH. MY STUDENT INTERCEPTED THE LOC BUT IMMEDIATELY FAILED TO ADEQUATELY CORRECT FOR A STRONG XWIND FROM THE W. I REPEATEDLY ADVISED THE STUDENT TO MAKE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIONS IN ORDER TO REMAIN ON THE LOC. APPROX 6-7 MI N OF VAN NUYS, WE EXPERIENCED FULL LOC NEEDLE DEFLECTION. I INFORMED MY STUDENT THAT I WOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR FLYING THE ACFT. I INFORMED VAN NUYS TWR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. I WAS IMMEDIATELY ADVISED BY TWR TO RETURN TO THE SOCAL APCH FREQ. AS I SWITCHED BACK TO THE SOCAL FREQ, I BEGAN EXECUTING A R TURN TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC AND LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 4300-4500 FT. MY INTENTION WAS TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC AND TRACK INBOUND TO THE MISSED APCH POINT. WHEN I CONTACTED SOCAL APCH, I WAS ADVISED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'YOU CAN'T JUST COME BACK ON THIS FREQ.' WHEN I ADVISED THAT I WAS FOLLOWING ATC INSTRUCTIONS FROM VNY TWR TO SWITCH FREQS, THE SOCAL CTLR TOLD ME TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO ACHIEVE MVA OF 5000 FT MSL. DURING THIS EXCHANGE, WE WERE TRAVERSING AN AREA OF MODERATE PLUS TURB. AT THIS POINT, TURB, AND I AM GUESSING MY PREOCCUPATION WITH ATC COMS AND MY STUDENT'S WELFARE, RESULTED IN THE ACFT BEING FLOWN INTO A STEEP CLBING L TURN CONFIGN. WE WERE SOLID IMC IN DARK CONDITIONS. AFTER WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE 10-15 SECONDS OF RECOVERY, I WAS ABLE TO RETURN THE ACFT TO A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ATTITUDE AND LEVEL AT 5000 FT MSL. THE RECOVERY RESULTED IN US DIVERGING E OF THE LOC COURSE AND CAUSED ME TO REQUEST A TERRAIN CLRNC VECTOR FROM ATC. VECTORS BACK TO THE VNY RWY 16R ILS RESULTED IN A FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL ILS APCH INTO VNY (ALTHOUGH OUR GS SEEMED TO HAVE REDUCED SENSITIVITY WHICH WE SQUAWKED UPON LNDG). 2 HUMAN FACTORS COME TO PLAY IN THIS SCENARIO: 1) ALTHOUGH WE WANT TO ALLOW OUR STUDENTS THE ROOM TO ERR AND LEARN, I FEEL THAT, AFTER MY STUDENT FAILED TO RESPOND TO MY REPEATED VERBAL COACHINGS TO TURN R AND CORRECT FOR THE XWIND, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR FLYING THE ACFT EARLIER, PREVENTING US FROM ACHIEVING FULL LOC NEEDLE DEFLECTION. 2) AS IN ALL INST FLYING, FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED FROM THE PRIMARY TASK WHILE FLYING A MISSED APCH IN TURBULENT SOLID IMC CONDITIONS. I AM THANKFUL THAT THIS INCIDENT DID NOT RESULT IN INJURY TO PERSONS OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. I HOPE THAT THIS INFO WILL ASSIST OTHER PLTS AND FLT INSTRUCTORS IN AVOIDING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.

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.