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Small aircraft pilot missets directional gyro and heads toward inbound traffic. ATC vectors him away from traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 361779 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : las |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 940 flight time type : 13 |
| ASRS Report | 361779 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departure instructions given by clearance delivery were: after takeoff runway 01, make left turn to 250 degrees, climbing to 3000 ft. Following these instructions, according to our directional gyro and altimeter, we ended up heading into oncoming inbound landing aircraft traffic. By the time we were able to contact las departure, we were told to make immediate right turn to avoid incoming traffic. We never saw the incoming traffic. During a brief discussion with departure control on our radio, it became apparent that our directional gyro was reading in error. After resetting the directional gyro to the correct magnetic compass heading, the directional gyro functioned normally. I think the primary cause for this situation was not checking the directional gyro reading with runway heading while in position for takeoff. Contributing factors were: 1) high winds causing all traffic (both commercial and private) to land and depart from same runway. Usually 4 runways are in use -- 2 for commercial airliners and 2 for smaller aircraft. This causes congestion and controllers pushing to get airplanes off the ground in a hurry. 2) failure to doublechk directional gyro after setting it during runup. Obviously it was not set properly. 3) directional gyro is part of the HSI in this airplane. Not having used an HSI before buying this airplane (12 flying hours ago), the instruments were relatively new to me.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT MISSETS DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND HEADS TOWARD INBOUND TFC. ATC VECTORS HIM AWAY FROM TFC.
Narrative: DEP INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY CLRNC DELIVERY WERE: AFTER TKOF RWY 01, MAKE L TURN TO 250 DEGS, CLBING TO 3000 FT. FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS, ACCORDING TO OUR DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND ALTIMETER, WE ENDED UP HDG INTO ONCOMING INBOUND LNDG ACFT TFC. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT LAS DEP, WE WERE TOLD TO MAKE IMMEDIATE R TURN TO AVOID INCOMING TFC. WE NEVER SAW THE INCOMING TFC. DURING A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH DEP CTL ON OUR RADIO, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT OUR DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS READING IN ERROR. AFTER RESETTING THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO THE CORRECT MAGNETIC COMPASS HDG, THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. I THINK THE PRIMARY CAUSE FOR THIS SIT WAS NOT CHKING THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO READING WITH RWY HDG WHILE IN POS FOR TKOF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) HIGH WINDS CAUSING ALL TFC (BOTH COMMERCIAL AND PVT) TO LAND AND DEPART FROM SAME RWY. USUALLY 4 RWYS ARE IN USE -- 2 FOR COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS AND 2 FOR SMALLER ACFT. THIS CAUSES CONGESTION AND CTLRS PUSHING TO GET AIRPLANES OFF THE GND IN A HURRY. 2) FAILURE TO DOUBLECHK DIRECTIONAL GYRO AFTER SETTING IT DURING RUNUP. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS NOT SET PROPERLY. 3) DIRECTIONAL GYRO IS PART OF THE HSI IN THIS AIRPLANE. NOT HAVING USED AN HSI BEFORE BUYING THIS AIRPLANE (12 FLYING HRS AGO), THE INSTS WERE RELATIVELY NEW TO ME.
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.