Narrative:

We were issued the runway 13 departure with the whitestone bridge climb. While waiting for departure, at the approach end of runway 13, we noticed a compass comparator light illuminate. I checked and reset the 2 compass system to match our known heading. This is a common problem at lga and there is even a sign at the location reminding pilots to check their headings. We were instructed to taxi into position and hold, and then were given takeoff clearance. At approximately 400 ft AGL, the comparator light again illuminated, indicating a system anomaly. In addition, at that time, the flight engineer advised #2 engine egt and N1 was at red-line limits for takeoff. We continued to climb straight out (heading 135 degrees) instead of beginning our turn to 180 degrees as published. By this time, we were told to contact departure. Also, by this time, the compass system were normal and in agreement with one another. We called departure control while initiating our delayed turn to 180 degrees. At this point we were approximately lga 135 degree radial and 2 - 2.5 DME. I explained our compass problem (now gone) to departure, and we were given a turn to heading 340 degrees. We were instructed to disregard the SID and expect vectors. The controller assured us 'no harm, no foul' upon my inquiry of the events. Several things were in play here. I had just finished IOE with the copilot the previous day (I'm a check captain) and he was flying the aircraft out of lga for the first time. He was skilled enough for the adverse WX and xwinds at lga, but still required close monitoring due to the conditions. We rebriefed the departure per SOP as well. (No coordination issues.) I have received compass warnings before at lga, but never under such conditions. I felt that using runway 13 was not really ideal due to the winds and WX. Had it been VMC, we could have 'wagged' the departure visually. We could not here. The compass system had no previous write-ups and was not put in the fault logbook. (The #2 engine was, however!) another factor was fatigue. We had had minimum rest and maximum duty day the previous day due to east coast/lga delays on our arrival. A more rested and alert crew could have solved problem sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPASS PROB DELAYS DEP TURN FROM LGA, NY. MINOR TRACK DEV.

Narrative: WE WERE ISSUED THE RWY 13 DEP WITH THE WHITESTONE BRIDGE CLB. WHILE WAITING FOR DEP, AT THE APCH END OF RWY 13, WE NOTICED A COMPASS COMPARATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATE. I CHKED AND RESET THE 2 COMPASS SYS TO MATCH OUR KNOWN HDG. THIS IS A COMMON PROB AT LGA AND THERE IS EVEN A SIGN AT THE LOCATION REMINDING PLTS TO CHK THEIR HDGS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, AND THEN WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC. AT APPROX 400 FT AGL, THE COMPARATOR LIGHT AGAIN ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A SYS ANOMALY. IN ADDITION, AT THAT TIME, THE FE ADVISED #2 ENG EGT AND N1 WAS AT RED-LINE LIMITS FOR TKOF. WE CONTINUED TO CLB STRAIGHT OUT (HDG 135 DEGS) INSTEAD OF BEGINNING OUR TURN TO 180 DEGS AS PUBLISHED. BY THIS TIME, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. ALSO, BY THIS TIME, THE COMPASS SYS WERE NORMAL AND IN AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE CALLED DEP CTL WHILE INITIATING OUR DELAYED TURN TO 180 DEGS. AT THIS POINT WE WERE APPROX LGA 135 DEG RADIAL AND 2 - 2.5 DME. I EXPLAINED OUR COMPASS PROB (NOW GONE) TO DEP, AND WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO HDG 340 DEGS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DISREGARD THE SID AND EXPECT VECTORS. THE CTLR ASSURED US 'NO HARM, NO FOUL' UPON MY INQUIRY OF THE EVENTS. SEVERAL THINGS WERE IN PLAY HERE. I HAD JUST FINISHED IOE WITH THE COPLT THE PREVIOUS DAY (I'M A CHK CAPT) AND HE WAS FLYING THE ACFT OUT OF LGA FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE WAS SKILLED ENOUGH FOR THE ADVERSE WX AND XWINDS AT LGA, BUT STILL REQUIRED CLOSE MONITORING DUE TO THE CONDITIONS. WE REBRIEFED THE DEP PER SOP AS WELL. (NO COORD ISSUES.) I HAVE RECEIVED COMPASS WARNINGS BEFORE AT LGA, BUT NEVER UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS. I FELT THAT USING RWY 13 WAS NOT REALLY IDEAL DUE TO THE WINDS AND WX. HAD IT BEEN VMC, WE COULD HAVE 'WAGGED' THE DEP VISUALLY. WE COULD NOT HERE. THE COMPASS SYS HAD NO PREVIOUS WRITE-UPS AND WAS NOT PUT IN THE FAULT LOGBOOK. (THE #2 ENG WAS, HOWEVER!) ANOTHER FACTOR WAS FATIGUE. WE HAD HAD MINIMUM REST AND MAX DUTY DAY THE PREVIOUS DAY DUE TO EAST COAST/LGA DELAYS ON OUR ARR. A MORE RESTED AND ALERT CREW COULD HAVE SOLVED PROB SOONER.

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.