Narrative:

The flight was from las to oak. The departure was the oasis off of runway 25R. All appeared to go well till after making contact with ZLA. The lax controller gave us a heading of 275 degrees when receiving oak go direct. Also, the controller cleared us to FL280, we were out of 15000 or 16000 ft at the time. Out of FL240 or maybe FL250 the controller asked if we were on a 275 degree heading. We said yes. He said our heading appeared to be about 25 or 30 degrees too far to the right. At that time I pulled down the whiskey compass and it was showing a heading of about 300 or 305 degrees. At about the same time we were coming up on FL270 and I called out 27 for 28 and the first officer acknowledged it. I corrected the first officer's slave compass. This is done from the left side. As I was about to ask the first officer to correct mine, I noticed our altitude was about 28300 ft. Before I got the words out of my mouth the first officer took corrective action and returned to FL280, then he set my compass from his side. We have no idea why the compasses were off. While taxiing out and on the departure everything seemed normal and las departure never said a word about any headings being unusual. We had little time in las because of the strong headwinds en route and we were changing aircraft. The aircraft we flew to las from mke was a B737-300. The aircraft we flew to oak was a B737-200 with the sp-77 autoplt. The aircraft had 2 MEL's and I was concerned that maintenance had done all that was required by the MEL book. Why did we fly though our assigned altitude? I make no excuses. I would like to say I feel the circumstances leading up to it was fatigue and the swapping of one model of the 737 to another. Although we had plenty of time off between duty periods, it is very hard to get quality rest during the day. Also, flying 4 different models of the B737 is not difficult, but can be very trying at times. I wonder if any other carrier operates this way?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC HAS ALTDEV AND HDG DEV ON CLB TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM LAS TO OAK. THE DEP WAS THE OASIS OFF OF RWY 25R. ALL APPEARED TO GO WELL TILL AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH ZLA. THE LAX CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 275 DEGS WHEN RECEIVING OAK GO DIRECT. ALSO, THE CTLR CLRED US TO FL280, WE WERE OUT OF 15000 OR 16000 FT AT THE TIME. OUT OF FL240 OR MAYBE FL250 THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE ON A 275 DEG HDG. WE SAID YES. HE SAID OUR HDG APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 25 OR 30 DEGS TOO FAR TO THE R. AT THAT TIME I PULLED DOWN THE WHISKEY COMPASS AND IT WAS SHOWING A HDG OF ABOUT 300 OR 305 DEGS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE COMING UP ON FL270 AND I CALLED OUT 27 FOR 28 AND THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED IT. I CORRECTED THE FO'S SLAVE COMPASS. THIS IS DONE FROM THE L SIDE. AS I WAS ABOUT TO ASK THE FO TO CORRECT MINE, I NOTICED OUR ALT WAS ABOUT 28300 FT. BEFORE I GOT THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH THE FO TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION AND RETURNED TO FL280, THEN HE SET MY COMPASS FROM HIS SIDE. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE COMPASSES WERE OFF. WHILE TAXIING OUT AND ON THE DEP EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL AND LAS DEP NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT ANY HDGS BEING UNUSUAL. WE HAD LITTLE TIME IN LAS BECAUSE OF THE STRONG HEADWINDS ENRTE AND WE WERE CHANGING ACFT. THE ACFT WE FLEW TO LAS FROM MKE WAS A B737-300. THE ACFT WE FLEW TO OAK WAS A B737-200 WITH THE SP-77 AUTOPLT. THE ACFT HAD 2 MEL'S AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT MAINT HAD DONE ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED BY THE MEL BOOK. WHY DID WE FLY THOUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT? I MAKE NO EXCUSES. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I FEEL THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO IT WAS FATIGUE AND THE SWAPPING OF ONE MODEL OF THE 737 TO ANOTHER. ALTHOUGH WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME OFF BTWN DUTY PERIODS, IT IS VERY HARD TO GET QUALITY REST DURING THE DAY. ALSO, FLYING 4 DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE B737 IS NOT DIFFICULT, BUT CAN BE VERY TRYING AT TIMES. I WONDER IF ANY OTHER CARRIER OPERATES THIS WAY?

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.