Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly with a german student in the beechcraft duchess. He had flown before in the united states and near the class B airspace. The german man spoke some english, but his wife, who was in the back seat didn't. I asked for clearance through the airspace, but was told to stay clear of class B and expect advisories. I stayed at 1500 ft MSL and decided to go north up the VFR corridor. As I was talking with approach and navigating, the german couple started a heated discussion in german. Heated enough to distract me. I saw that we were heading north too early, so I took the controls and set a heading to the ese to stay south of the class B. I explained to my student that we didn't have clearance and we can't go that way. I explained class B and showed him the borders. After we passed the fix on the right we turned north up the corridor. Controller advised us of a B777 at 3000 ft, we had in sight. I was getting flustered with the germans, radio calls, and navigating, as well as supervising the flight controls. When I found where we were on the chart I checked the DME and saw I was 6 mi not the 7 mi to stay clear. I was waiting for a spot on the radio to advise. I saw a jetstream coming, well clear, but coming. I chose to hold heading and altitude to not create a worse situation. I took the controls a second time, because my student wasn't complying with my vectors. Controller called with a phone number and a vector to get us back to the corridor. I was advised of the jetstream which had already passed by. I then stayed in the corridor flew north and east around and below class B. I believe the language barrier and the fact the student was arguing with his wife distracted me and him. Also, I feel I gave the student more credit than I should have about his class B knowledge. With the high workload of supervising the flight controls, talking to approach, navigating, looking for traffic, and teaching, I fell a step behind and lost control of the situation. I have been working the last 2 weeks straight. Usually I get 1 day off a week and hold at least 10 hour scheduled days with flts, ground, and simulator training. That day I flew 5 hours already. So fatigue on my part is a cause of the problem. To correct this from happening again, I have taken 2 days off a week in july and shortened some of my days. I will not teach brand new, foreign students class B airspace by going up a corridor. I will stay clear and get flight following. I will take the controls more often and stress the importance of the situation, whatever it may be, more often to set a good example.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR ENTERED CAT B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN DISTRACTED BY FOREIGN LANGUAGE ARGUMENT BTWN HIS STUDENT AND PAX.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY WITH A GERMAN STUDENT IN THE BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS. HE HAD FLOWN BEFORE IN THE UNITED STATES AND NEAR THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE GERMAN MAN SPOKE SOME ENGLISH, BUT HIS WIFE, WHO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT DIDN'T. I ASKED FOR CLRNC THROUGH THE AIRSPACE, BUT WAS TOLD TO STAY CLR OF CLASS B AND EXPECT ADVISORIES. I STAYED AT 1500 FT MSL AND DECIDED TO GO N UP THE VFR CORRIDOR. AS I WAS TALKING WITH APCH AND NAVING, THE GERMAN COUPLE STARTED A HEATED DISCUSSION IN GERMAN. HEATED ENOUGH TO DISTRACT ME. I SAW THAT WE WERE HEADING N TOO EARLY, SO I TOOK THE CTLS AND SET A HEADING TO THE ESE TO STAY S OF THE CLASS B. I EXPLAINED TO MY STUDENT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE CLRNC AND WE CAN'T GO THAT WAY. I EXPLAINED CLASS B AND SHOWED HIM THE BORDERS. AFTER WE PASSED THE FIX ON THE R WE TURNED N UP THE CORRIDOR. CTLR ADVISED US OF A B777 AT 3000 FT, WE HAD IN SIGHT. I WAS GETTING FLUSTERED WITH THE GERMANS, RADIO CALLS, AND NAVING, AS WELL AS SUPERVISING THE FLT CTLS. WHEN I FOUND WHERE WE WERE ON THE CHART I CHKED THE DME AND SAW I WAS 6 MI NOT THE 7 MI TO STAY CLR. I WAS WAITING FOR A SPOT ON THE RADIO TO ADVISE. I SAW A JETSTREAM COMING, WELL CLR, BUT COMING. I CHOSE TO HOLD HEADING AND ALT TO NOT CREATE A WORSE SIT. I TOOK THE CTLS A SECOND TIME, BECAUSE MY STUDENT WASN'T COMPLYING WITH MY VECTORS. CTLR CALLED WITH A PHONE NUMBER AND A VECTOR TO GET US BACK TO THE CORRIDOR. I WAS ADVISED OF THE JETSTREAM WHICH HAD ALREADY PASSED BY. I THEN STAYED IN THE CORRIDOR FLEW N AND E AROUND AND BELOW CLASS B. I BELIEVE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AND THE FACT THE STUDENT WAS ARGUING WITH HIS WIFE DISTRACTED ME AND HIM. ALSO, I FEEL I GAVE THE STUDENT MORE CREDIT THAN I SHOULD HAVE ABOUT HIS CLASS B KNOWLEDGE. WITH THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF SUPERVISING THE FLT CTLS, TALKING TO APCH, NAVING, LOOKING FOR TFC, AND TEACHING, I FELL A STEP BEHIND AND LOST CTL OF THE SIT. I HAVE BEEN WORKING THE LAST 2 WKS STRAIGHT. USUALLY I GET 1 DAY OFF A WK AND HOLD AT LEAST 10 HR SCHEDULED DAYS WITH FLTS, GND, AND SIMULATOR TRAINING. THAT DAY I FLEW 5 HRS ALREADY. SO FATIGUE ON MY PART IS A CAUSE OF THE PROB. TO CORRECT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I HAVE TAKEN 2 DAYS OFF A WK IN JULY AND SHORTENED SOME OF MY DAYS. I WILL NOT TEACH BRAND NEW, FOREIGN STUDENTS CLASS B AIRSPACE BY GOING UP A CORRIDOR. I WILL STAY CLR AND GET FLT FOLLOWING. I WILL TAKE THE CTLS MORE OFTEN AND STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIT, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, MORE OFTEN TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE.

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.