A PA34 instructor pilot changes over to abe tower from approach control sooner than planned while he was instructing his student regarding an altitude assignment southwest of abe, PA.

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Attributes
ACN	458580
Time
Date	199912
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abe.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abe.tracon tower : abe.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 1036 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	458580
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On a night VFR cross country with a foreign student, the approach controller gave us a VFR descent at our discretion from 4000 ft MSL. I told my student (who spoke only broken english) to descend to 2500 ft. Meanwhile, I looked up the tower frequency as I assumed we would be handed off soon. As I was about to tune the frequency, I noticed my student was descending lower than 2500 ft. While instructing him to maintain 2500 ft, I inadvertently tuned tower on the radio that we had been talking to approach on. When I called approach to let the controller know we would be descending to 2000 ft, I was supposed to hear tower call back. He advised me to stay with him. I clarified his instructions. In the future, I will correct my student and wait to change frequencys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 INSTRUCTOR PLT CHANGES OVER TO ABE TWR FROM APCH CTL SOONER THAN PLANNED WHILE HE WAS INSTRUCTING HIS STUDENT REGARDING AN ALT ASSIGNMENT SW OF ABE, PA.

Narrative: ON A NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY WITH A FOREIGN STUDENT, THE APCH CTLR GAVE US A VFR DSCNT AT OUR DISCRETION FROM 4000 FT MSL. I TOLD MY STUDENT (WHO SPOKE ONLY BROKEN ENGLISH) TO DSND TO 2500 FT. MEANWHILE, I LOOKED UP THE TWR FREQ AS I ASSUMED WE WOULD BE HANDED OFF SOON. AS I WAS ABOUT TO TUNE THE FREQ, I NOTICED MY STUDENT WAS DSNDING LOWER THAN 2500 FT. WHILE INSTRUCTING HIM TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT, I INADVERTENTLY TUNED TWR ON THE RADIO THAT WE HAD BEEN TALKING TO APCH ON. WHEN I CALLED APCH TO LET THE CTLR KNOW WE WOULD BE DSNDING TO 2000 FT, I WAS SUPPOSED TO HEAR TWR CALL BACK. HE ADVISED ME TO STAY WITH HIM. I CLARIFIED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CORRECT MY STUDENT AND WAIT TO CHANGE FREQS.

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.