Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 1100; Flight Crew Type 800
Communication Breakdown; Workload; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
We were on an IFR flight plan and were given 330 vector and 3;000 feet assigned. Center advised traffic at our 12 o'clock and 1 mile maneuvering same altitude. We spotted the traffic and called it in sight. The traffic then made a steep left turn and rolled out directly at us. I immediately took the controls from the student and turned us 90 degrees to the left. I told the student to keep his eye on traffic and then asked 'are we clear?' The student shouted 'no; climb climb climb!' During our climb Center issued two more traffic advisories which I did not hear or acknowledge. Once the conflict was resolved I began turning back to our assigned heading and altitude. Center asked us to say heading. I replied '060 we turned for traffic.' She replied; 'No sir! You need to be 060.' I told her we turned to avoid hitting another airplane and she responded saying there was more traffic behind us. She then asked our altitude and I told her 3;400 descending to 3;000. Contributing to the event was the Controller's delay in advising of traffic at our 12 and same altitude. The low wing Piper caused us to momentarily lose sight of the traffic in the turn to avoid it.
A PA-28 instructor pilot took the aircraft from his student and executed a climbing; turning avoidance maneuver from traffic which ATC pointed out late as it turned toward them.