Narrative:

Flight departed ewr on runway 22R. The first officer was flying. After going to departure control we were given a right turn to 300 degrees and a climb to 10000'. Shortly after that a heading of 330 degrees was given and a change to ny departure control. After calling ny departure I noticed our compasses were acting very erratic and began checking our navigation instruments. In the meantime ny departure gave us a heading change to 350 degrees and a climb to 17000'. I acknowledged the heading and climb, while the first officer began to comply with the clearance. Then the first officer commented that his compass was acting funny and he had no course indicator needle on his ADI, nor was there any indication of a rate of climb. At the same time I noticed mine was as his. I told him to hold his heading while I checked the standby compass, but was unable to see it because of the pitch of the aircraft in our climb. At this time ny departure asked us if we were heading 350 degrees. I told him we had a compass problem and we weren't sure what heading we were on. He told me to start a turn to the right and stop when he said to. We followed his instructions. He also said we should have told him of our problem sooner because we were headed into the empire approach corridor. I realize I should have notified the controller at first indication of a compass malfunction, but I got very busy trying to correct the problem before it became worse. The entire incident lasted about 45 seconds. The WX was VFR and all our exterior lights were on. After complying with ny departure instructions I did, finally, get the compass and navigation equipment working again by recycling the compass and navigation selector panel switch several times. We continued the remainder of the flight west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HEADING TRACK DEVIATION WHILE ON RADAR VECTOR DEP FROM EWR TALKING TO N90.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED EWR ON RWY 22R. THE F/O WAS FLYING. AFTER GOING TO DEP CTL WE WERE GIVEN A RIGHT TURN TO 300 DEGS AND A CLB TO 10000'. SHORTLY AFTER THAT A HDG OF 330 DEGS WAS GIVEN AND A CHANGE TO NY DEP CTL. AFTER CALLING NY DEP I NOTICED OUR COMPASSES WERE ACTING VERY ERRATIC AND BEGAN CHKING OUR NAV INSTRUMENTS. IN THE MEANTIME NY DEP GAVE US A HDG CHANGE TO 350 DEGS AND A CLB TO 17000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE HDG AND CLB, WHILE THE F/O BEGAN TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC. THEN THE F/O COMMENTED THAT HIS COMPASS WAS ACTING FUNNY AND HE HAD NO COURSE INDICATOR NEEDLE ON HIS ADI, NOR WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF A RATE OF CLB. AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED MINE WAS AS HIS. I TOLD HIM TO HOLD HIS HDG WHILE I CHKED THE STANDBY COMPASS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE PITCH OF THE ACFT IN OUR CLB. AT THIS TIME NY DEP ASKED US IF WE WERE HDG 350 DEGS. I TOLD HIM WE HAD A COMPASS PROB AND WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT HDG WE WERE ON. HE TOLD ME TO START A TURN TO THE RIGHT AND STOP WHEN HE SAID TO. WE FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. HE ALSO SAID WE SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM OF OUR PROB SOONER BECAUSE WE WERE HEADED INTO THE EMPIRE APCH CORRIDOR. I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE CTLR AT FIRST INDICATION OF A COMPASS MALFUNCTION, BUT I GOT VERY BUSY TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROB BEFORE IT BECAME WORSE. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT LASTED ABOUT 45 SECS. THE WX WAS VFR AND ALL OUR EXTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON. AFTER COMPLYING WITH NY DEP INSTRUCTIONS I DID, FINALLY, GET THE COMPASS AND NAV EQUIP WORKING AGAIN BY RECYCLING THE COMPASS AND NAV SELECTOR PANEL SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES. WE CONTINUED THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT W/O INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.