Narrative:

Chain of events: mqi was a fuel stop in flight from new england to hse. Flight time so far 3 3/4 hours. During fuel stop, turned plane around by hand with power off, causing directional gyro to be approximately 100 degrees off of earlier setting. Normally directional gyro has no precession. Mqi runways under construction. Runup was distraction by flag men and paving trucks in runup area. Failed to catch erroneous directional gyro during runup. On departure runway 35, turned left crosswind departure, prevented from immediate turn to downwind by scattered cloud bases at 900 ft. By the time I 'turned' airport area no longer visible in haze. Leveled at 1000-1200 ft. Followed directional gyro heading of 180 degrees over landscape which resembled roanoke island. Within 3-5 mins, as island didn't end, realized a problem existed and began to troubleshoot. At this time, 2 military jets spotted oncoming heading, below us. They turned north, never approaching closer than 1 mi. Compared magnetic compass to directional gyro at this time and realized error. Turned to 90 degrees magnetic. Shortly was over water, and in a few mins made landfall north of inlet. Turned south on course. As I was flying by pilotage at this time, I felt I had probably penetrated restr area west of mqi. Prevention: don't allow distrs to interfere with checklists. Change checklist item from instruments to include directional gyro, altimeter, altitude indicator. Heat and low visibility contributed to degradation of pilot performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C182RG HURRIES THROUGH RUNUP PROCS AND DOES NOT SET HIS DIRECTIONAL GYRO. DEPARTING, HE TURNS WRONG DIRECTION AND ENTERS RESTR AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: MQI WAS A FUEL STOP IN FLT FROM NEW ENGLAND TO HSE. FLT TIME SO FAR 3 3/4 HRS. DURING FUEL STOP, TURNED PLANE AROUND BY HAND WITH PWR OFF, CAUSING DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO BE APPROX 100 DEGS OFF OF EARLIER SETTING. NORMALLY DIRECTIONAL GYRO HAS NO PRECESSION. MQI RWYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. RUNUP WAS DISTR BY FLAG MEN AND PAVING TRUCKS IN RUNUP AREA. FAILED TO CATCH ERRONEOUS DIRECTIONAL GYRO DURING RUNUP. ON DEP RWY 35, TURNED L XWIND DEP, PREVENTED FROM IMMEDIATE TURN TO DOWNWIND BY SCATTERED CLOUD BASES AT 900 FT. BY THE TIME I 'TURNED' ARPT AREA NO LONGER VISIBLE IN HAZE. LEVELED AT 1000-1200 FT. FOLLOWED DIRECTIONAL GYRO HDG OF 180 DEGS OVER LANDSCAPE WHICH RESEMBLED ROANOKE ISLAND. WITHIN 3-5 MINS, AS ISLAND DIDN'T END, REALIZED A PROB EXISTED AND BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT. AT THIS TIME, 2 MIL JETS SPOTTED ONCOMING HDG, BELOW US. THEY TURNED N, NEVER APCHING CLOSER THAN 1 MI. COMPARED MAGNETIC COMPASS TO DIRECTIONAL GYRO AT THIS TIME AND REALIZED ERROR. TURNED TO 90 DEGS MAGNETIC. SHORTLY WAS OVER WATER, AND IN A FEW MINS MADE LANDFALL N OF INLET. TURNED S ON COURSE. AS I WAS FLYING BY PILOTAGE AT THIS TIME, I FELT I HAD PROBABLY PENETRATED RESTR AREA W OF MQI. PREVENTION: DON'T ALLOW DISTRS TO INTERFERE WITH CHKLISTS. CHANGE CHKLIST ITEM FROM INSTS TO INCLUDE DIRECTIONAL GYRO, ALTIMETER, ALT INDICATOR. HEAT AND LOW VISIBILITY CONTRIBUTED TO DEGRADATION OF PLT PERFORMANCE.

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.