Flight crew of a widebody transport failed to turn to the assigned headings after takeoff due to not setting their compass system to the aircraft magnetic compass prior to takeoff.

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Attributes
ACN	301283
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 100 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hnl tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	301283
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Both compass system off by 30-40 degrees. After departure, we were instructed by tower to turn right to a heading of 155 degrees and then further right to heading 180 degrees, which we did. We were turned over to departure control and shortly thereafter given a heading of 080 degrees. When we rolled out on the 080 degree heading, the controller asked us to check our heading and the controller said we were heading approximately 040 degrees. We checked our compass cards (RMI and CDI) against the standby magnetic compass and saw a 30-40 degree error. We resynchronized our compass system and corrected our heading. As far as I know, no conflict resulted by flying the wrong headings assigned by ATC. We missed the error on the takeoff checklist because the error was not that great and both compass system were indicating the same heading. The problem could have been prevented if we would have checked our heading against the standby magnetic compass and checked our heading against the runway heading as we lined up on the runway for takeoff. We were busy at that time and just missed the error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB FAILED TO TURN TO THE ASSIGNED HDGS AFTER TKOF DUE TO NOT SETTING THEIR COMPASS SYS TO THE ACFT MAGNETIC COMPASS PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: BOTH COMPASS SYS OFF BY 30-40 DEGS. AFTER DEP, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO TURN R TO A HDG OF 155 DEGS AND THEN FURTHER R TO HDG 180 DEGS, WHICH WE DID. WE WERE TURNED OVER TO DEP CTL AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER GIVEN A HDG OF 080 DEGS. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 080 DEG HDG, THE CTLR ASKED US TO CHK OUR HDG AND THE CTLR SAID WE WERE HDG APPROX 040 DEGS. WE CHKED OUR COMPASS CARDS (RMI AND CDI) AGAINST THE STANDBY MAGNETIC COMPASS AND SAW A 30-40 DEG ERROR. WE RESYNCHRONIZED OUR COMPASS SYS AND CORRECTED OUR HDG. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO CONFLICT RESULTED BY FLYING THE WRONG HDGS ASSIGNED BY ATC. WE MISSED THE ERROR ON THE TKOF CHKLIST BECAUSE THE ERROR WAS NOT THAT GREAT AND BOTH COMPASS SYS WERE INDICATING THE SAME HDG. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF WE WOULD HAVE CHKED OUR HDG AGAINST THE STANDBY MAGNETIC COMPASS AND CHKED OUR HDG AGAINST THE RWY HDG AS WE LINED UP ON THE RWY FOR TKOF. WE WERE BUSY AT THAT TIME AND JUST MISSED THE ERROR.

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.