Narrative:

My private pilot student and I departed tucson airport at approximately XA30Z. The flight was a return to deer valley airport completing a day/night cross country training flight. Just north of pinal airport, I diverted the student to the tfd VOR. After reaching the VOR, I gave the student a second diversion to phoenix goodyear airport. We were at 6500 ft MSL. I walked the student through the diversion process, the first we had done in the airplane. The student noted the time, and then selected a general magnetic heading in the direction of goodyear. I gave the student an initial descent of 5500 ft MSL to keep us clear of the class B shelf south of phoenix sky harbor. I pointed out the sierra estrella mountains, which were visible even though it was a night flight because there was a full moon. Then the student, using his terminal chart, selected a more accurate heading (310 degrees) which took us more or less directly at the estrella mountain range. I questioned what we should do after looking at his chart, he decided we would head east of the mountain range. He proceeded to measure out a distance, and computed a time and fuel burn to the destination. All of this was done with my assistance, guiding him through each step. The aircraft went back and forth from his control to my control, depending on how he was doing on each task. Several times, I took control when heading deviations exceeded 20-30 degrees. I had the student descend down to 3500 ft MSL, to keep us clear of the 4000 ft class B shelf. Coming into the airport this way, he kept turning right away from the mountain range, not holding his course heading. The student was also getting the airport information. After obtaining the ATIS, we discussed how he would enter into the airport and what radio call he would be making to the tower. After making his call, at about XB56Z, tower responded that they were closing. We had at this time descended down to 3000 ft to enter into goodyear's pattern. Workload was high from an instructor's standpoint and my intentions were to have him at 2700 ft to provide us with safety from the corner edge of a 3000-10000 ft class B shelf. I don't know for sure if our path took us through the shelf and nothing occurred to me that it was possible until later. There were a number of factors that played into my poor performance. Our aircraft had lights in the aircraft, they are bright. I normally carry a small aviation light with me. Without this, it was more difficult in examining the airspace limits on my chart. I normally don't fly on weekends, but decided to do the flight today for make up because of WX. Another factor I was unfamiliar with this area. I had never approached the airport from this way before. Factors that could have changed the outcome: to have gone around the sierra estrella mountain range to the west. The highest peak sat at 4512 ft and at 3500 ft, although visible, we kept turning away. This would have also kept us out of a very busy class B airspace area. Study the area more closely before I gave him a diversion to his destination, although I did look it over. I didn't plan effectively to stay ahead of the airplane. The biggest mistake was changing plans. I had decided we would go back for a class B transition to give the student further practice and didn't plan any specific departure plan to get back over. I chose 3500 ft to keep us under the shelf to the west of goodyear and knew at firebird lake we needed to be at 3500 ft, but didn't look for the route in-between. It was here I questioned him about the transition, this too distraction my student. I was too many steps ahead of the airplane. Other factors were: the altitude limitations on the sectional chart for the 3000 ft to 10000 ft for shelf are in small print in the upper right corner of airspace and on the terminal chart, it is about the same. Another factor was in trying to review the airspace with the GPS. It kept selecting a river near the airspace boundaries and was difficult in allowing me to review the airspaces. Unfortunately, my performance was seen by my student, although I think it will be a great lesson, it would have been better for him to learn it in a positive way. I know it has been a lesson for me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR GUIDES STUDENT THROUGH THE TASK INTENSIVE FACTORS IN CALCULATING ALL FACTORS OF ARPT DIVERSION, FALLING BEHIND SUFFICIENTLY TO INCUR PHX CLASS B WHEN APCHING GYR TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: MY PVT PLT STUDENT AND I DEPARTED TUCSON ARPT AT APPROX XA30Z. THE FLT WAS A RETURN TO DEER VALLEY ARPT COMPLETING A DAY/NIGHT XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT. JUST N OF PINAL ARPT, I DIVERTED THE STUDENT TO THE TFD VOR. AFTER REACHING THE VOR, I GAVE THE STUDENT A SECOND DIVERSION TO PHOENIX GOODYEAR ARPT. WE WERE AT 6500 FT MSL. I WALKED THE STUDENT THROUGH THE DIVERSION PROCESS, THE FIRST WE HAD DONE IN THE AIRPLANE. THE STUDENT NOTED THE TIME, AND THEN SELECTED A GENERAL MAGNETIC HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF GOODYEAR. I GAVE THE STUDENT AN INITIAL DSCNT OF 5500 FT MSL TO KEEP US CLR OF THE CLASS B SHELF S OF PHOENIX SKY HARBOR. I POINTED OUT THE SIERRA ESTRELLA MOUNTAINS, WHICH WERE VISIBLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A NIGHT FLT BECAUSE THERE WAS A FULL MOON. THEN THE STUDENT, USING HIS TERMINAL CHART, SELECTED A MORE ACCURATE HDG (310 DEGS) WHICH TOOK US MORE OR LESS DIRECTLY AT THE ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN RANGE. I QUESTIONED WHAT WE SHOULD DO AFTER LOOKING AT HIS CHART, HE DECIDED WE WOULD HEAD E OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. HE PROCEEDED TO MEASURE OUT A DISTANCE, AND COMPUTED A TIME AND FUEL BURN TO THE DEST. ALL OF THIS WAS DONE WITH MY ASSISTANCE, GUIDING HIM THROUGH EACH STEP. THE ACFT WENT BACK AND FORTH FROM HIS CTL TO MY CTL, DEPENDING ON HOW HE WAS DOING ON EACH TASK. SEVERAL TIMES, I TOOK CTL WHEN HDG DEVS EXCEEDED 20-30 DEGS. I HAD THE STUDENT DSND DOWN TO 3500 FT MSL, TO KEEP US CLR OF THE 4000 FT CLASS B SHELF. COMING INTO THE ARPT THIS WAY, HE KEPT TURNING R AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN RANGE, NOT HOLDING HIS COURSE HDG. THE STUDENT WAS ALSO GETTING THE ARPT INFO. AFTER OBTAINING THE ATIS, WE DISCUSSED HOW HE WOULD ENTER INTO THE ARPT AND WHAT RADIO CALL HE WOULD BE MAKING TO THE TWR. AFTER MAKING HIS CALL, AT ABOUT XB56Z, TWR RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE CLOSING. WE HAD AT THIS TIME DSNDED DOWN TO 3000 FT TO ENTER INTO GOODYEAR'S PATTERN. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH FROM AN INSTRUCTOR'S STANDPOINT AND MY INTENTIONS WERE TO HAVE HIM AT 2700 FT TO PROVIDE US WITH SAFETY FROM THE CORNER EDGE OF A 3000-10000 FT CLASS B SHELF. I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF OUR PATH TOOK US THROUGH THE SHELF AND NOTHING OCCURRED TO ME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE UNTIL LATER. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT PLAYED INTO MY POOR PERFORMANCE. OUR ACFT HAD LIGHTS IN THE ACFT, THEY ARE BRIGHT. I NORMALLY CARRY A SMALL AVIATION LIGHT WITH ME. WITHOUT THIS, IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT IN EXAMINING THE AIRSPACE LIMITS ON MY CHART. I NORMALLY DON'T FLY ON WEEKENDS, BUT DECIDED TO DO THE FLT TODAY FOR MAKE UP BECAUSE OF WX. ANOTHER FACTOR I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA. I HAD NEVER APCHED THE ARPT FROM THIS WAY BEFORE. FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME: TO HAVE GONE AROUND THE SIERRA ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN RANGE TO THE W. THE HIGHEST PEAK SAT AT 4512 FT AND AT 3500 FT, ALTHOUGH VISIBLE, WE KEPT TURNING AWAY. THIS WOULD HAVE ALSO KEPT US OUT OF A VERY BUSY CLASS B AIRSPACE AREA. STUDY THE AREA MORE CLOSELY BEFORE I GAVE HIM A DIVERSION TO HIS DEST, ALTHOUGH I DID LOOK IT OVER. I DIDN'T PLAN EFFECTIVELY TO STAY AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS CHANGING PLANS. I HAD DECIDED WE WOULD GO BACK FOR A CLASS B TRANSITION TO GIVE THE STUDENT FURTHER PRACTICE AND DIDN'T PLAN ANY SPECIFIC DEP PLAN TO GET BACK OVER. I CHOSE 3500 FT TO KEEP US UNDER THE SHELF TO THE W OF GOODYEAR AND KNEW AT FIREBIRD LAKE WE NEEDED TO BE AT 3500 FT, BUT DIDN'T LOOK FOR THE RTE IN-BTWN. IT WAS HERE I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE TRANSITION, THIS TOO DISTR MY STUDENT. I WAS TOO MANY STEPS AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. OTHER FACTORS WERE: THE ALT LIMITATIONS ON THE SECTIONAL CHART FOR THE 3000 FT TO 10000 FT FOR SHELF ARE IN SMALL PRINT IN THE UPPER R CORNER OF AIRSPACE AND ON THE TERMINAL CHART, IT IS ABOUT THE SAME. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS IN TRYING TO REVIEW THE AIRSPACE WITH THE GPS. IT KEPT SELECTING A RIVER NEAR THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES AND WAS DIFFICULT IN ALLOWING ME TO REVIEW THE AIRSPACES. UNFORTUNATELY, MY PERFORMANCE WAS SEEN BY MY STUDENT, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT WILL BE A GREAT LESSON, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR HIM TO LEARN IT IN A POSITIVE WAY. I KNOW IT HAS BEEN A LESSON FOR ME.

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.