Narrative:

I was (am) a 'low minimums' captain, flying the last leg of my first trip. After gear retraction, I xferred control of the aircraft to my first officer, to continue the 'gateway 3 departure' out of stl. I asked him where he was headed since he flew through our assigned heading. He said he was turning to (XXX degrees), which was correct, but I noticed that our directional gyroscopes were off by more than 40 degrees. He reached for the knob on his RMI and turned it, hoping to match the directional gyroscopes. But it spun my directional gyroscope (our aircraft are not standardized with equipment). I didn't know what was indicating correctly (if anything) so I turned off our windshield heat (which throws off the compass) to check our heading and to reset our gyroscopes. At this time, my first officer reached down and turned my course selector (in an attempt to fix things) which compounded our situation. I chose to take control of the aircraft, since he was busy turning knobs. Departure asked me (us) what speed we were going to maintain to altitude. As I keyed the microphone (mine was the only side that worked, again compounding an undesirable situation) to say 270 KTS, I glanced down at my airspeed indicator, which indicated 305 KTS. As I said '270 KTS,' I pulled the power levers to idle, extended the airbrakes and pulled the nose up. I don't know how long I was above 250 KTS. I remember confirming my directional gyroscope with the runway heading, but don't recall checking my RMI. We were not rushed to takeoff. I will always check both directional gyroscopes against a known heading. I will insure the first officer also resets the gyroscopes (as called for in the checklist) and visually double check it. I will delegate duties responsibly (his leg, let him fly, I will work the problem). One person needs to stay with the aircraft and fly it properly. If I have any kind of problem (that may take us off course/airspeed, etc), I will notify ATC, and ask for information and assistance. In this case, I should have informed ATC of a gyroscope abnormality, asked for our track, informed them we may be off course (assigned heading) for a brief time while we reset our gyroscopes. When I do encounter a problem again, I won't rush to fix it. I will stop, consider the problem, consider what still works, then work the solution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DASSAULT FALCON 20 (DA20), DEVIATED FROM THEIR ASSIGNED HEADING AND EXCEEDED AIRSPD BELOW 10000 FT DURING A SID DEP CLB CAUSED BY THE FLC'S CONFUSION OF THE ACFT'S INDICATED HEADING.

Narrative: I WAS (AM) A 'LOW MINIMUMS' CAPT, FLYING THE LAST LEG OF MY FIRST TRIP. AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, I XFERRED CTL OF THE ACFT TO MY FO, TO CONTINUE THE 'GATEWAY 3 DEP' OUT OF STL. I ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS HEADED SINCE HE FLEW THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED HEADING. HE SAID HE WAS TURNING TO (XXX DEGS), WHICH WAS CORRECT, BUT I NOTICED THAT OUR DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPES WERE OFF BY MORE THAN 40 DEGS. HE REACHED FOR THE KNOB ON HIS RMI AND TURNED IT, HOPING TO MATCH THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPES. BUT IT SPUN MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE (OUR ACFT ARE NOT STANDARDIZED WITH EQUIP). I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS INDICATING CORRECTLY (IF ANYTHING) SO I TURNED OFF OUR WINDSHIELD HEAT (WHICH THROWS OFF THE COMPASS) TO CHK OUR HEADING AND TO RESET OUR GYROSCOPES. AT THIS TIME, MY FO REACHED DOWN AND TURNED MY COURSE SELECTOR (IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THINGS) WHICH COMPOUNDED OUR SIT. I CHOSE TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT, SINCE HE WAS BUSY TURNING KNOBS. DEP ASKED ME (US) WHAT SPD WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN TO ALT. AS I KEYED THE MIKE (MINE WAS THE ONLY SIDE THAT WORKED, AGAIN COMPOUNDING AN UNDESIRABLE SIT) TO SAY 270 KTS, I GLANCED DOWN AT MY AIRSPD INDICATOR, WHICH INDICATED 305 KTS. AS I SAID '270 KTS,' I PULLED THE PWR LEVERS TO IDLE, EXTENDED THE AIRBRAKES AND PULLED THE NOSE UP. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I WAS ABOVE 250 KTS. I REMEMBER CONFIRMING MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WITH THE RWY HEADING, BUT DON'T RECALL CHKING MY RMI. WE WERE NOT RUSHED TO TKOF. I WILL ALWAYS CHK BOTH DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPES AGAINST A KNOWN HEADING. I WILL INSURE THE FO ALSO RESETS THE GYROSCOPES (AS CALLED FOR IN THE CHKLIST) AND VISUALLY DOUBLE CHK IT. I WILL DELEGATE DUTIES RESPONSIBLY (HIS LEG, LET HIM FLY, I WILL WORK THE PROB). ONE PERSON NEEDS TO STAY WITH THE ACFT AND FLY IT PROPERLY. IF I HAVE ANY KIND OF PROB (THAT MAY TAKE US OFF COURSE/AIRSPD, ETC), I WILL NOTIFY ATC, AND ASK FOR INFO AND ASSISTANCE. IN THIS CASE, I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ATC OF A GYROSCOPE ABNORMALITY, ASKED FOR OUR TRACK, INFORMED THEM WE MAY BE OFF COURSE (ASSIGNED HEADING) FOR A BRIEF TIME WHILE WE RESET OUR GYROSCOPES. WHEN I DO ENCOUNTER A PROB AGAIN, I WON'T RUSH TO FIX IT. I WILL STOP, CONSIDER THE PROB, CONSIDER WHAT STILL WORKS, THEN WORK THE SOLUTION.

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.