Narrative:

During an IFR flight from 6n4 we received our clearance on the ground and were told to report airborne. We called lga TCA when airborne, and we were given radar contact and instructed to fly heading 030 degrees climb to 2000'. During our climb to 2000' we were given a heading of 360 degrees, next 340 degrees, then we were told to turn to 310 degrees and that there was a departure aircraft off runway 310 at lga right behind us. The controller sounded agitated, and the other pilot with me (who was actually on the controls) and I began to discuss why we were receiving so many vectors toward the northwest. We remembered that in the past we had noticed compass errors caused by sitting at 6n4. We sat on the heliport for 9 mins before we departed IFR. Our compresses may have been off about 20 degrees causing us to drift more eastbound. In addition, there were winds from the northwest pushing as even farther east. These factors made it more difficult for the controller to keep us northwest of his departures off of runway 31 at lga. When we landed at white plains, I was asked to call lga tower. I spoke to the supervisor who said they were trying to sort out what happened to make operations run more smoothly in the future. She said there had been no violation of sep requirements of IFR aircraft, but the departing jet off 31 at lga had been given an extra turn for spacing. I feel there should be a placard with a warning to all helicopters departing all new york city heliports IFR that compass disturbances have been a problem and a reference compass heading should be included on the placard, I plan to bring this to the attention of the eastern region helicopter council.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO A POSSIBLE COMPASS ERROR ACFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FLYING ASSIGNED VECTOR HEADINGS.

Narrative: DURING AN IFR FLT FROM 6N4 WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC ON THE GND AND WERE TOLD TO RPT AIRBORNE. WE CALLED LGA TCA WHEN AIRBORNE, AND WE WERE GIVEN RADAR CONTACT AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 030 DEGS CLB TO 2000'. DURING OUR CLB TO 2000' WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 360 DEGS, NEXT 340 DEGS, THEN WE WERE TOLD TO TURN TO 310 DEGS AND THAT THERE WAS A DEP ACFT OFF RWY 310 AT LGA RIGHT BEHIND US. THE CTLR SOUNDED AGITATED, AND THE OTHER PLT WITH ME (WHO WAS ACTUALLY ON THE CONTROLS) AND I BEGAN TO DISCUSS WHY WE WERE RECEIVING SO MANY VECTORS TOWARD THE NW. WE REMEMBERED THAT IN THE PAST WE HAD NOTICED COMPASS ERRORS CAUSED BY SITTING AT 6N4. WE SAT ON THE HELIPORT FOR 9 MINS BEFORE WE DEPARTED IFR. OUR COMPRESSES MAY HAVE BEEN OFF ABOUT 20 DEGS CAUSING US TO DRIFT MORE EBND. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE WINDS FROM THE NW PUSHING AS EVEN FARTHER E. THESE FACTORS MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE CTLR TO KEEP US NW OF HIS DEPS OFF OF RWY 31 AT LGA. WHEN WE LANDED AT WHITE PLAINS, I WAS ASKED TO CALL LGA TWR. I SPOKE TO THE SUPVR WHO SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO SORT OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE OPS RUN MORE SMOOTHLY IN THE FUTURE. SHE SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO VIOLATION OF SEP REQUIREMENTS OF IFR ACFT, BUT THE DEPARTING JET OFF 31 AT LGA HAD BEEN GIVEN AN EXTRA TURN FOR SPACING. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A PLACARD WITH A WARNING TO ALL HELIS DEPARTING ALL NEW YORK CITY HELIPORTS IFR THAT COMPASS DISTURBANCES HAVE BEEN A PROB AND A REF COMPASS HDG SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THE PLACARD, I PLAN TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE EASTERN REGION HELI COUNCIL.

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.