Narrative:

Departing on 4/fri/90, XA06 local, on the ewr 3 departure, captain's #1 navigation set on 108.7 22L ILS/DME, the DME did not lock on. We were flying a 190 degree heading in radar contact, waiting for the DME to lock on, when advised by departure that we should have turned already to the SID's 290 degree heading at the 3 DME fix. She asked if our DME was working, to which our reply was no. We then were criticized for not telling her sooner. We were still less than 1000' MSL and perhaps at the 4-5 DME distance. First officer's DME was on the eliot fix, next expected fix on the SID. We dialed in 108.7 on his VHF navigation and it worked--however we were already in the turn to 310 degrees as directed. The controller was concerned for the lga traffic and the fact that we hadn't advised her of the inoperative DME. Other circumstances were the fact we were extremely heavy. Maximum takeoff weight was 110000 pounds, and we were 108600# in an old medium large transport basic with xx engines. Runway 22R is 8200' and we used all but the last 1000' on takeoff roll!! Our climb performance was not there. This was the major concern which kept us from perhaps advising approach immediately that the ILS DME was not being received. We were only between 500-1000' trying to accelerate! I might add that I recycled my VHF navigation twice and still received no DME. There was no traffic conflict we were aware of (we were probably too low!), yet this report anyway!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: DEPARTING ON 4/FRI/90, XA06 LCL, ON THE EWR 3 DEP, CAPT'S #1 NAV SET ON 108.7 22L ILS/DME, THE DME DID NOT LOCK ON. WE WERE FLYING A 190 DEG HDG IN RADAR CONTACT, WAITING FOR THE DME TO LOCK ON, WHEN ADVISED BY DEP THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED ALREADY TO THE SID'S 290 DEG HDG AT THE 3 DME FIX. SHE ASKED IF OUR DME WAS WORKING, TO WHICH OUR REPLY WAS NO. WE THEN WERE CRITICIZED FOR NOT TELLING HER SOONER. WE WERE STILL LESS THAN 1000' MSL AND PERHAPS AT THE 4-5 DME DISTANCE. F/O'S DME WAS ON THE ELIOT FIX, NEXT EXPECTED FIX ON THE SID. WE DIALED IN 108.7 ON HIS VHF NAV AND IT WORKED--HOWEVER WE WERE ALREADY IN THE TURN TO 310 DEGS AS DIRECTED. THE CTLR WAS CONCERNED FOR THE LGA TFC AND THE FACT THAT WE HADN'T ADVISED HER OF THE INOP DME. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES WERE THE FACT WE WERE EXTREMELY HEAVY. MAX TKOF WT WAS 110000 LBS, AND WE WERE 108600# IN AN OLD MLG BASIC WITH XX ENGS. RWY 22R IS 8200' AND WE USED ALL BUT THE LAST 1000' ON TKOF ROLL!! OUR CLB PERFORMANCE WAS NOT THERE. THIS WAS THE MAJOR CONCERN WHICH KEPT US FROM PERHAPS ADVISING APCH IMMEDIATELY THAT THE ILS DME WAS NOT BEING RECEIVED. WE WERE ONLY BTWN 500-1000' TRYING TO ACCELERATE! I MIGHT ADD THAT I RECYCLED MY VHF NAV TWICE AND STILL RECEIVED NO DME. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT WE WERE AWARE OF (WE WERE PROBABLY TOO LOW!), YET THIS RPT ANYWAY!

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