Narrative:

After takeoff from lga (about 5 mins) we were given a turn direct to parke. The ONS checked good on the ground and was used to turn towards parke. The heading seemed good, xchking with the VOR. There was a strong crosswind from the northwest which made determining a quick fix-to-fix on the VOR only a rough estimate. We were climbing through about 17000 ft on a heading that seemed would take us slightly south of broadway VOR and directly to parke (broadway 250 degree radial at 14 DME). ZNY gave us about a 20-30 degree correction to the right or north of course to intercept parke. We then noticed an intermittent dr light on the omega. ZNY's heading to parke was correct, although it seemed the VOR had swung 20 degrees or so. Upon intercepting parke, J6 (250 degree radial from parke to lancaster off broadway) was intercepted and VOR track was annunciated on our FMA. We appeared to be tracking J6 outbound from parke when ZNY gave us about a 20-30 degree turn to the north saying it 'was a vector for climb.' we were now around 25000-27000 ft. The VOR fluctuated 30- 40 degrees again, settled down, and we appeared to be 2 degrees south of course. Upon intercepting J6, center gave us a left turn of 10-20 degrees and said we were established on J6 and to continue our flight planned course which was a surprise to us since we had not been apprised we were off course initially. Approaching lancaster, we again noticed large deviations in the VOR and intermittent dr lights on the omega. After level off, the captain went back through the cabin and found a portable radio with headset in use. A cellular phone was also found on, although its owner claimed it had not been used. The rest of the flight progressed normally. We believe the VOR fluctuations and navigation problems could have been caused by these items. When we first encountered difficulty, the flight attendants were notified and discovered the cellular phone. The radio was not discovered till the captain walked through the cabin. Several PA's were made explaining the importance of leaving these items off, as well as the required PA's concerning electrical items. We could have intensified and concentrated our efforts more if center had informed us on their second course correction that we were off course (instead of 'vector for climb') since we believed we were on course at that time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has not heard anything from the FAA on this incident, of course, as it fixed itself very quickly. The reporter was advised about the FAA safety hot line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD-80 SUFFERED ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE FROM PAX PORTABLE RADIO AND OR CELLULAR PHONE.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM LGA (ABOUT 5 MINS) WE WERE GIVEN A TURN DIRECT TO PARKE. THE ONS CHKED GOOD ON THE GND AND WAS USED TO TURN TOWARDS PARKE. THE HDG SEEMED GOOD, XCHKING WITH THE VOR. THERE WAS A STRONG XWIND FROM THE NW WHICH MADE DETERMINING A QUICK FIX-TO-FIX ON THE VOR ONLY A ROUGH ESTIMATE. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 17000 FT ON A HDG THAT SEEMED WOULD TAKE US SLIGHTLY S OF BROADWAY VOR AND DIRECTLY TO PARKE (BROADWAY 250 DEG RADIAL AT 14 DME). ZNY GAVE US ABOUT A 20-30 DEG CORRECTION TO THE R OR N OF COURSE TO INTERCEPT PARKE. WE THEN NOTICED AN INTERMITTENT DR LIGHT ON THE OMEGA. ZNY'S HDG TO PARKE WAS CORRECT, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMED THE VOR HAD SWUNG 20 DEGS OR SO. UPON INTERCEPTING PARKE, J6 (250 DEG RADIAL FROM PARKE TO LANCASTER OFF BROADWAY) WAS INTERCEPTED AND VOR TRACK WAS ANNUNCIATED ON OUR FMA. WE APPEARED TO BE TRACKING J6 OUTBOUND FROM PARKE WHEN ZNY GAVE US ABOUT A 20-30 DEG TURN TO THE N SAYING IT 'WAS A VECTOR FOR CLB.' WE WERE NOW AROUND 25000-27000 FT. THE VOR FLUCTUATED 30- 40 DEGS AGAIN, SETTLED DOWN, AND WE APPEARED TO BE 2 DEGS S OF COURSE. UPON INTERCEPTING J6, CTR GAVE US A L TURN OF 10-20 DEGS AND SAID WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON J6 AND TO CONTINUE OUR FLT PLANNED COURSE WHICH WAS A SURPRISE TO US SINCE WE HAD NOT BEEN APPRISED WE WERE OFF COURSE INITIALLY. APCHING LANCASTER, WE AGAIN NOTICED LARGE DEVS IN THE VOR AND INTERMITTENT DR LIGHTS ON THE OMEGA. AFTER LEVEL OFF, THE CAPT WENT BACK THROUGH THE CABIN AND FOUND A PORTABLE RADIO WITH HEADSET IN USE. A CELLULAR PHONE WAS ALSO FOUND ON, ALTHOUGH ITS OWNER CLAIMED IT HAD NOT BEEN USED. THE REST OF THE FLT PROGRESSED NORMALLY. WE BELIEVE THE VOR FLUCTUATIONS AND NAV PROBS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THESE ITEMS. WHEN WE FIRST ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED AND DISCOVERED THE CELLULAR PHONE. THE RADIO WAS NOT DISCOVERED TILL THE CAPT WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN. SEVERAL PA'S WERE MADE EXPLAINING THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAVING THESE ITEMS OFF, AS WELL AS THE REQUIRED PA'S CONCERNING ELECTRICAL ITEMS. WE COULD HAVE INTENSIFIED AND CONCENTRATED OUR EFFORTS MORE IF CTR HAD INFORMED US ON THEIR SECOND COURSE CORRECTION THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE (INSTEAD OF 'VECTOR FOR CLB') SINCE WE BELIEVED WE WERE ON COURSE AT THAT TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT, OF COURSE, AS IT FIXED ITSELF VERY QUICKLY. THE RPTR WAS ADVISED ABOUT THE FAA SAFETY HOT LINE.

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.