Narrative:

Departing the dca airport on apr/tue/92 to the south, and during climb out, ATC first advised and reported that they were not receiving our altitude transponder readout report. I then recycled our transponder from 'on' to 'standby' and back to 'on,' then switched from '#1 transponder' to '#2 transponder,' and next from '#1 altitude report' to '#2 altitude report.' after all this ATC advised that our transponder report was 'intermitted, but that we were in radar contact.' at level off at 17000 ft, ATC reported our altitude transponder readout to be '17500 ft' and asked us to verify our altitude. Our altitude was 17000 ft, and I verified this to ATC, next switching from transponder altitude reporting system from #1 to #2. ATC then advised receiving our altitude report as 'level at 17000 ft.' on arrival at our destination cle, I made a logbook entry for our transponder problem, and maintenance found and corrected a loose antenna connection on our transponder reporter box. On this same flight, my first officer flying, we were receiving ATC vectors from the dca departure control, and then handed off to ZDC while still on an assigned vector heading for WX avoidance. When the first officer course needle centered on the airway he turned on course J-111, approximately 40 DME EMI, ATC called us and gave us a 20 degree left heading change to reintercept J-111, reporting us to be off course? I then matched the #1 navigation receiver to that of the #2 navigation receiver, and found a 30 degree difference between the 2 receivers. I reported this to ATC, giving them the information which I had on the incorrect reception of our #2 navigation receiver. ATC next again gave us another off airway J-111 heading to the south for WX avoidance and traffic. When clear of WX we were again cleared direct to jst. While proceeding direct to jst, ATC shortly thereafter gave us a 100 degree left heading change to return to the direct course to jst, advising us that we were about to enter ZNY's airspace? First officer #2 navigation receiver again displayed the partial fail flag (less than 1/2 the localizer - VOR flag) with CDI needle slightly right of course, correct identify and DME. While preparing to continue with this aircraft to iah and performing the 'receiving aircraft checklist' and tuning up the navigation radios, the first officer's CDI fail flag again appeared (less than 1/2 VOR - localizer flag showing). Maintenance was called to return to the aircraft. First officer's CDI was written up again in the aircraft log, and maintenance changed out the first officer's CDI display. In my opinion WX and precipitation did play a problem in navigating dca to J-111, and from EMI to jst, in that there were many aircraft deviating for WX, and ATC was extremely busy. However, twice I had made reports to ATC that our flight was receiving VOR navigation reception and indication problems, and I fell that ATC could have kept a better eye on us than they did. A 100 degree heading change is extremely alarming to me as a pilot when given the controller's tone and pitch in his voice that we were entering someone else's airspace? I do not know what I or my first officer could have done differently than I have described above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG ACR ACFT EXPERIENCED RADIO TRANSPONDER EQUIP MALFUNCTIONS RESULTING IN BECOMING OFF COURSE AND ATC INTERVENING TO CORRECT THE ACFT'S FLT PATH.

Narrative: DEPARTING THE DCA ARPT ON APR/TUE/92 TO THE S, AND DURING CLBOUT, ATC FIRST ADVISED AND RPTED THAT THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING OUR ALT TRANSPONDER READOUT RPT. I THEN RECYCLED OUR TRANSPONDER FROM 'ON' TO 'STANDBY' AND BACK TO 'ON,' THEN SWITCHED FROM '#1 TRANSPONDER' TO '#2 TRANSPONDER,' AND NEXT FROM '#1 ALT RPT' TO '#2 ALT RPT.' AFTER ALL THIS ATC ADVISED THAT OUR TRANSPONDER RPT WAS 'INTERMITTED, BUT THAT WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT.' AT LEVEL OFF AT 17000 FT, ATC RPTED OUR ALT TRANSPONDER READOUT TO BE '17500 FT' AND ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ALT. OUR ALT WAS 17000 FT, AND I VERIFIED THIS TO ATC, NEXT SWITCHING FROM TRANSPONDER ALT RPTING SYS FROM #1 TO #2. ATC THEN ADVISED RECEIVING OUR ALT RPT AS 'LEVEL AT 17000 FT.' ON ARR AT OUR DEST CLE, I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR OUR TRANSPONDER PROBLEM, AND MAINT FOUND AND CORRECTED A LOOSE ANTENNA CONNECTION ON OUR TRANSPONDER RPTR BOX. ON THIS SAME FLT, MY FO FLYING, WE WERE RECEIVING ATC VECTORS FROM THE DCA DEP CTL, AND THEN HANDED OFF TO ZDC WHILE STILL ON AN ASSIGNED VECTOR HDG FOR WX AVOIDANCE. WHEN THE FO COURSE NEEDLE CTRED ON THE AIRWAY HE TURNED ON COURSE J-111, APPROX 40 DME EMI, ATC CALLED US AND GAVE US A 20 DEG L HDG CHANGE TO REINTERCEPT J-111, RPTING US TO BE OFF COURSE? I THEN MATCHED THE #1 NAV RECEIVER TO THAT OF THE #2 NAV RECEIVER, AND FOUND A 30 DEG DIFFERENCE BTWN THE 2 RECEIVERS. I RPTED THIS TO ATC, GIVING THEM THE INFO WHICH I HAD ON THE INCORRECT RECEPTION OF OUR #2 NAV RECEIVER. ATC NEXT AGAIN GAVE US ANOTHER OFF AIRWAY J-111 HDG TO THE S FOR WX AVOIDANCE AND TFC. WHEN CLR OF WX WE WERE AGAIN CLRED DIRECT TO JST. WHILE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO JST, ATC SHORTLY THEREAFTER GAVE US A 100 DEG L HDG CHANGE TO RETURN TO THE DIRECT COURSE TO JST, ADVISING US THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER ZNY'S AIRSPACE? FO #2 NAV RECEIVER AGAIN DISPLAYED THE PARTIAL FAIL FLAG (LESS THAN 1/2 THE LOC - VOR FLAG) WITH CDI NEEDLE SLIGHTLY R OF COURSE, CORRECT IDENT AND DME. WHILE PREPARING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS ACFT TO IAH AND PERFORMING THE 'RECEIVING ACFT CHKLIST' AND TUNING UP THE NAV RADIOS, THE FO'S CDI FAIL FLAG AGAIN APPEARED (LESS THAN 1/2 VOR - LOC FLAG SHOWING). MAINT WAS CALLED TO RETURN TO THE ACFT. FO'S CDI WAS WRITTEN UP AGAIN IN THE ACFT LOG, AND MAINT CHANGED OUT THE FO'S CDI DISPLAY. IN MY OPINION WX AND PRECIPITATION DID PLAY A PROBLEM IN NAVING DCA TO J-111, AND FROM EMI TO JST, IN THAT THERE WERE MANY ACFT DEVIATING FOR WX, AND ATC WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. HOWEVER, TWICE I HAD MADE RPTS TO ATC THAT OUR FLT WAS RECEIVING VOR NAV RECEPTION AND INDICATION PROBLEMS, AND I FELL THAT ATC COULD HAVE KEPT A BETTER EYE ON US THAN THEY DID. A 100 DEG HDG CHANGE IS EXTREMELY ALARMING TO ME AS A PLT WHEN GIVEN THE CTLR'S TONE AND PITCH IN HIS VOICE THAT WE WERE ENTERING SOMEONE ELSE'S AIRSPACE? I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I OR MY FO COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY THAN I HAVE DESCRIBED ABOVE.

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.