Narrative:

On IFR training flight with a student. We were instructed by ATC to fly heading 020 degrees and join V21. When it became obvious to the student that the 020 degree heading was not going to get us onto V21 before sli, he turned to a heading of 350 degrees. ATC noticed the turn and asked what heading we were flying. Student responded 350 degrees. We were instructed that our assigned heading was 020 degrees, and that we were to join V21 east of sli. We turned back to 020 degrees immediately. Contributing to the incident was the fact that the student and I had both assumed that we were to join V21 west of sli. The 020 degree heading would have allowed us to join V21 east of sli, but not west of it. Of course, we should have maintained our assigned heading whether or not we thought it would have resulted in our reaching the airway. I explained to the student the importance of maintaining any heading assigned by ATC. Later in the flight, while at 7000 ft, ATC directed us to climb to 11000 ft. The MEA for next portion of the airway rose to 9500 ft. Immediately before that communication, we heard a PIREP of icing in the clouds above us at 9000 ft. 11000 ft would not have gotten us to on-top conditions. We told the controller that we were unable to climb due to the known icing conditions above us. We were in IMC with rapidly rising terrain ahead of us, however. We informed ATC that if we didn't break out soon, we would need to do a 180 degree back to VMC, or descend (possibly to a lower MVA) out of the clouds. We eventually broke out and canceled our IFR flight plan, proceeding to our destination under VFR. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT HAD TRACK DEV WHILE ON VECTORS IN SCT CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON IFR TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO FLY HDG 020 DEGS AND JOIN V21. WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO THE STUDENT THAT THE 020 DEG HDG WAS NOT GOING TO GET US ONTO V21 BEFORE SLI, HE TURNED TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS. ATC NOTICED THE TURN AND ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE FLYING. STUDENT RESPONDED 350 DEGS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED THAT OUR ASSIGNED HDG WAS 020 DEGS, AND THAT WE WERE TO JOIN V21 E OF SLI. WE TURNED BACK TO 020 DEGS IMMEDIATELY. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT THE STUDENT AND I HAD BOTH ASSUMED THAT WE WERE TO JOIN V21 W OF SLI. THE 020 DEG HDG WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO JOIN V21 E OF SLI, BUT NOT W OF IT. OF COURSE, WE SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED OUR ASSIGNED HDG WHETHER OR NOT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN OUR REACHING THE AIRWAY. I EXPLAINED TO THE STUDENT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING ANY HDG ASSIGNED BY ATC. LATER IN THE FLT, WHILE AT 7000 FT, ATC DIRECTED US TO CLB TO 11000 FT. THE MEA FOR NEXT PORTION OF THE AIRWAY ROSE TO 9500 FT. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THAT COM, WE HEARD A PIREP OF ICING IN THE CLOUDS ABOVE US AT 9000 FT. 11000 FT WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN US TO ON-TOP CONDITIONS. WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO CLB DUE TO THE KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS ABOVE US. WE WERE IN IMC WITH RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN AHEAD OF US, HOWEVER. WE INFORMED ATC THAT IF WE DIDN'T BREAK OUT SOON, WE WOULD NEED TO DO A 180 DEG BACK TO VMC, OR DSND (POSSIBLY TO A LOWER MVA) OUT OF THE CLOUDS. WE EVENTUALLY BROKE OUT AND CANCELED OUR IFR FLT PLAN, PROCEEDING TO OUR DEST UNDER VFR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.