Narrative:

Flight from bos to yng was filed to proceed direct from etg VOR to yng VOR. Upon station passage (etg) both navigation radios were turned to yng VOR. DME registered on both HSI's and both RMI's pointed to a 180 degree turn. The HSI course needle was selected to 180 degrees and a left turn was initiated to that heading. At 120 DME (yng) ATC corrected our heading to 260 degrees. After a few mins the true VOR reception depicted 80 DME east of yng. Upon receiving the ATC clearance to turn to a heading of 260 degrees, the crew suspected interference from an electronic device in the cabin.. We requested the lead F/a inspect the cabin for portable electronic devices. She returned stating 23 passenger were using am/FM cassette 'walkman' type players and 1 passenger was using a portable computer. She further stated that she had requested, via passenger announcement, that the use of these devices cease as they might interfere with the navigation radios on the aircraft. The flight proceeded west/O further incident. To remedy the situation from occurring in the future we, as flight crew members, should: brief F/a's to recognize the importance of checking and briefing passenger on the use of electronic devices, and reference the navigation charts for a heading even when navigating off an arwy. Suggest the company or FAA publish a NOTAM cautioning airmen for false indications of the yng VOR near the etg VOR. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: called yng FSS and discussed reliability and NOTAMS on yng VOR. Specialist not aware of any NOTAMS or note on high altitude chart stating the 130 degree right was unreliable. Has not heard of any PIREPS or controller reports pertaining to the VOR. Supplemental information from acn 157885: we observed a false lock-on to yng VOR. Our position was 10 NM west of etg VOR, at FL260. The result of this false lock-on was our initial turn to a heading of 180 degrees, almost 90 degrees off course. The cockpit indication showed yng VOR (frequency 109.0) at 180 degrees and 120 NM. We may have been receiving a signal from shewbyville near nashville since it has the identical (frequency 109.0) frequency as yng.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RECEIVES ERRONEOUS VOR SIGNAL AND TURNS OFF COURSE. ATC ISSUED NEW HEADING.

Narrative: FLT FROM BOS TO YNG WAS FILED TO PROCEED DIRECT FROM ETG VOR TO YNG VOR. UPON STATION PASSAGE (ETG) BOTH NAV RADIOS WERE TURNED TO YNG VOR. DME REGISTERED ON BOTH HSI'S AND BOTH RMI'S POINTED TO A 180 DEG TURN. THE HSI COURSE NEEDLE WAS SELECTED TO 180 DEGS AND A LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED TO THAT HDG. AT 120 DME (YNG) ATC CORRECTED OUR HDG TO 260 DEGS. AFTER A FEW MINS THE TRUE VOR RECEPTION DEPICTED 80 DME E OF YNG. UPON RECEIVING THE ATC CLRNC TO TURN TO A HDG OF 260 DEGS, THE CREW SUSPECTED INTERFERENCE FROM AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN THE CABIN.. WE REQUESTED THE LEAD F/A INSPECT THE CABIN FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES. SHE RETURNED STATING 23 PAX WERE USING AM/FM CASSETTE 'WALKMAN' TYPE PLAYERS AND 1 PAX WAS USING A PORTABLE COMPUTER. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT SHE HAD REQUESTED, VIA PAX ANNOUNCEMENT, THAT THE USE OF THESE DEVICES CEASE AS THEY MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE NAV RADIOS ON THE ACFT. THE FLT PROCEEDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. TO REMEDY THE SITUATION FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE WE, AS FLT CREW MEMBERS, SHOULD: BRIEF F/A'S TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CHKING AND BRIEFING PAX ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES, AND REF THE NAV CHARTS FOR A HDG EVEN WHEN NAVIGATING OFF AN ARWY. SUGGEST THE COMPANY OR FAA PUBLISH A NOTAM CAUTIONING AIRMEN FOR FALSE INDICATIONS OF THE YNG VOR NEAR THE ETG VOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLED YNG FSS AND DISCUSSED RELIABILITY AND NOTAMS ON YNG VOR. SPECIALIST NOT AWARE OF ANY NOTAMS OR NOTE ON HIGH ALT CHART STATING THE 130 DEG R WAS UNRELIABLE. HAS NOT HEARD OF ANY PIREPS OR CTLR RPTS PERTAINING TO THE VOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 157885: WE OBSERVED A FALSE LOCK-ON TO YNG VOR. OUR POS WAS 10 NM W OF ETG VOR, AT FL260. THE RESULT OF THIS FALSE LOCK-ON WAS OUR INITIAL TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS, ALMOST 90 DEGS OFF COURSE. THE COCKPIT INDICATION SHOWED YNG VOR (FREQ 109.0) AT 180 DEGS AND 120 NM. WE MAY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A SIGNAL FROM SHEWBYVILLE NEAR NASHVILLE SINCE IT HAS THE IDENTICAL (FREQ 109.0) FREQ AS YNG.

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.