ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative

ON A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT IN A PIPER SEMINOLE TO PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHS AT A SATELLITE AIRPORT (TVF); WE WERE GIVEN AN IFR CLRNC TO 'MAINTAIN 5000 FT; CLRED TO (IAF) V2IA 12 NM DME ARC AND INBOUND ON 117 DEG RADIAL.' WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR APCH DUE TO COMPANY ACFT CONDUCTING AN APCH AT THE SAM AIRPORT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE READ TO CLRNC BACK THE COMPANY ACFT RPTED HIS MISSED APCH. THE STUDENT TURNED ONTO THE ARC AND BEGAN DSNDING TO 2700 FT (THE ALT PUBLISHED FOR THE ARC). AFTER HE DSNDED TO 4900 FT; I ASKED HIM IF WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. HE REPLIED THAT WE WERE. AT THIS POINT I MADE SEVERAL ASSUMPTIONS. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT APCH CLRNC AFTER COMPANY ACFT COMPLETED HIS APCH; I HEARD HIM CALL HIS MISSED AND ASSUMED WE WERE CLRED. STUDENT SAID WE WERE CLRED AND I THOUGHT I MISSED THE RADIO CALL CLRING US FOR THE APCH. I ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO CONTINUE. AT 4500 FT CTR ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ALT - BUSTED! REASONS; INSTRUCTOR'S (ME) FAILURE TO VERIFY CLRNC. (YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN TROUBLE WHEN YOU STATE ITEMS SUCH AS 'STUDENT SAID' AND 'I THOUGHT.' ASSUMING THE STUDENT IS RIGHT. I VIOLATED A CARDINAL CREDO FOR INSTRUCTORS HERE. INCREASE COMS BTWN INSTRUCTOR; STUDENT AND CTLR TO ASSURE AND NOT ASSUME CRITICAL ITEMS SUCH AS THESE ARE NOT MISUNDERSTOOD. PIC/INSTRUCTOR MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING THIS ENVIRONMENT. BOTH INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON TODAY.