CRJ200 flight crew has a heading and track deviation departing lga.

Attributes
ACN	720048
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	720048
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	720049
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas warning other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

While on the ground at lga taxiing into position at runway 13; we received an EFIS compass monitor message. We both went into directional gyro mode and set the course to runway heading. After departing runway 13 and flying a 180 degree heading; we went back to magnetic mode. We once again received an EFIS compass monitor message. As I checked with departure I was given a squawk code to enter as I was distraction with the squawk and EFIS compass monitor message. After entering the squawk code we were asked our heading. As I read our heading; I realized that we were off course and that the captain's and my directional gyro were way off course. We were given a heading to fly. As we were what appeared to be on the new heading; we were actually still 30 or more degrees off course; depending on which directional gyro you were looking at. As we were trying to set the heading from the compass we also realized that the compass appeared to be hanging. En route the compass was observed as free and clear. This only confused the situation greater. After receiving numerous heading readouts from departure; we were able to get the directional gyros realigned. This process took about 15 mins until we could remedy the problem. I believe the major cause of the problem is all the metal associated with runway 13 at lga. Another factor was the distrs of the multiple radio calls; cleaning up the aircraft and performing the climb checks. A possible remedy to help solve this reoccurrence is elevated cross-examination of heading while departing runway 13 lga. Also wait a longer period to switch from directional gyroscope to magnetic mode. Upon landing in rdu; we were notified by the flight attendant that a passenger had been asked numerous times to turn off pda with blackberry. Flight attendant was convinced that the passenger had in fact turned it off before takeoff. In fact; the passenger had not turned it off until well after takeoff and it was still being operated. This was discovered by the captain after talking to the passenger in rdu.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW HAS A HDG AND TRACK DEV DEPARTING LGA.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE GND AT LGA TAXIING INTO POS AT RWY 13; WE RECEIVED AN EFIS COMPASS MONITOR MESSAGE. WE BOTH WENT INTO DIRECTIONAL GYRO MODE AND SET THE COURSE TO RWY HDG. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 13 AND FLYING A 180 DEG HDG; WE WENT BACK TO MAGNETIC MODE. WE ONCE AGAIN RECEIVED AN EFIS COMPASS MONITOR MESSAGE. AS I CHKED WITH DEP I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE TO ENTER AS I WAS DISTR WITH THE SQUAWK AND EFIS COMPASS MONITOR MESSAGE. AFTER ENTERING THE SQUAWK CODE WE WERE ASKED OUR HDG. AS I READ OUR HDG; I REALIZED THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE AND THAT THE CAPT'S AND MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WERE WAY OFF COURSE. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO FLY. AS WE WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE ON THE NEW HDG; WE WERE ACTUALLY STILL 30 OR MORE DEGS OFF COURSE; DEPENDING ON WHICH DIRECTIONAL GYRO YOU WERE LOOKING AT. AS WE WERE TRYING TO SET THE HDG FROM THE COMPASS WE ALSO REALIZED THAT THE COMPASS APPEARED TO BE HANGING. ENRTE THE COMPASS WAS OBSERVED AS FREE AND CLR. THIS ONLY CONFUSED THE SITUATION GREATER. AFTER RECEIVING NUMEROUS HDG READOUTS FROM DEP; WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE DIRECTIONAL GYROS REALIGNED. THIS PROCESS TOOK ABOUT 15 MINS UNTIL WE COULD REMEDY THE PROB. I BELIEVE THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE PROB IS ALL THE METAL ASSOCIATED WITH RWY 13 AT LGA. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE DISTRS OF THE MULTIPLE RADIO CALLS; CLEANING UP THE ACFT AND PERFORMING THE CLB CHKS. A POSSIBLE REMEDY TO HELP SOLVE THIS REOCCURRENCE IS ELEVATED CROSS-EXAM OF HDG WHILE DEPARTING RWY 13 LGA. ALSO WAIT A LONGER PERIOD TO SWITCH FROM DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TO MAGNETIC MODE. UPON LNDG IN RDU; WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX HAD BEEN ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES TO TURN OFF PDA WITH BLACKBERRY. FLT ATTENDANT WAS CONVINCED THAT THE PAX HAD IN FACT TURNED IT OFF BEFORE TKOF. IN FACT; THE PAX HAD NOT TURNED IT OFF UNTIL WELL AFTER TKOF AND IT WAS STILL BEING OPERATED. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BY THE CAPT AFTER TALKING TO THE PAX IN RDU.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.