Narrative:

On an introductory flight for a new student; a portion of the flight was inadvertently made with the transponder set to respond to a code other than 1200. The aircraft was equipped with the garmin G1000 EFIS. While attempting to teach checklist usage to a new student; the only copy of the checklist was in the student's possession and I as the instructor failed to realize that the transponder setting item had been skipped. Since the transponder automatically activates in altitude mode once the aircraft begins the takeoff roll; and this feature had become relied upon for transponder activation; no interaction with the transponder was initiated by me resulting in an inadvertent takeoff and period of flight while squawking an inappropriate transponder code. This occurrence emphasizes the need for proper checklist usage. While attempting to teach this to a new student; I failed to utilize the checklist myself. If I had a second copy of the checklist for my own use; an adequate review of the checklist procedures could have been performed and the inappropriate squawk code corrected before the takeoff roll. It also emphasizes the need to monitor automated system closely. In this case; relying upon the automatic activation of the transponder removed pilot interaction with that system and allowed the error to go unnoticed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAS WRONG XPONDER CODE SELECTED.

Narrative: ON AN INTRODUCTORY FLT FOR A NEW STUDENT; A PORTION OF THE FLT WAS INADVERTENTLY MADE WITH THE XPONDER SET TO RESPOND TO A CODE OTHER THAN 1200. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE GARMIN G1000 EFIS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TEACH CHKLIST USAGE TO A NEW STUDENT; THE ONLY COPY OF THE CHKLIST WAS IN THE STUDENT'S POSSESSION AND I AS THE INSTRUCTOR FAILED TO REALIZE THAT THE XPONDER SETTING ITEM HAD BEEN SKIPPED. SINCE THE XPONDER AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATES IN ALT MODE ONCE THE ACFT BEGINS THE TKOF ROLL; AND THIS FEATURE HAD BECOME RELIED UPON FOR XPONDER ACTIVATION; NO INTERACTION WITH THE XPONDER WAS INITIATED BY ME RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT TKOF AND PERIOD OF FLT WHILE SQUAWKING AN INAPPROPRIATE XPONDER CODE. THIS OCCURRENCE EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR PROPER CHKLIST USAGE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TEACH THIS TO A NEW STUDENT; I FAILED TO UTILIZE THE CHKLIST MYSELF. IF I HAD A SECOND COPY OF THE CHKLIST FOR MY OWN USE; AN ADEQUATE REVIEW OF THE CHKLIST PROCS COULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AND THE INAPPROPRIATE SQUAWK CODE CORRECTED BEFORE THE TKOF ROLL. IT ALSO EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO MONITOR AUTOMATED SYS CLOSELY. IN THIS CASE; RELYING UPON THE AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION OF THE XPONDER REMOVED PLT INTERACTION WITH THAT SYS AND ALLOWED THE ERROR TO GO UNNOTICED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.