Narrative:

Classic chain of events: deferred equipment; last min changes in clearance; experience level. Dallas 8 departure with deferred FMS and TCAS. Just after takeoff 'EFIS comp monitor' caution message. As PNF; I attempted to correct the problem and determine which directional gyro was accurate. Tower assigned a 030 degree heading. After aligning the headings on the directional gyro the problem occurred 3 more times while climbing to 10000 ft. We were unable to determine an accurate heading during climb out with the standby compass. ATC asked me to call. Used FMS en route navigation. Fix equipment instead of deferring it. Supplemental information from acn 738773: immediately on lift-off we had caution lights and message for 'EFIS comp mon;' the affected directional gyro turned out to be on my side (PF). I therefore continued to hand fly the aircraft using a combination of standby compass and the captain's indication while he tried to rectify my directional gyro indication by slewing it. The departure had no depiction of the routing on the pfd; and no course to take into account wind drift; since it only consisted of a heading. Several 'EFIS comp mon' caution messages and errors continued to occur. I do believe we accurately continued to fly the published heading; despite the indication errors. Tower gave us a frequency change; at that moment the 'EFIS comp mon' caution returned (with flashing lights) and the captain attempted to fix again. This caused a momentary delay in switching frequencys. I queried the captain if he had checked in on the new frequency; but then the tower controller asked if we were still on tower frequency; and asked us to fly 030 degrees for traffic and contact departure. The captain told the controller that we had an equipment issue he was resolving. We immediately flew 030 degrees as requested; and the captain contacted departure. Notified by ATC to copy down telephone number. Entered en route portion of flight; where we were able to use FMS/autoplt. Maintenance tested system on arrival. Quick resolution of equipment errors so maximum navigation equipment available to crew. ATC not require heading changes for traffic during initial climb. Supplemental information from acn 739292: on RNAV departure; bleco; runway 36R. On initial climb out noticed an rj on departure from runway 35L. He was slightly in front; approximately 1 O'clock position. He appeared to be drifting slightly west; toward our route of flight. I kept an eye on him; he did not appear to be a threat. Shortly after; tower told us to turn 30 degrees to the left. I also noted the rj turning to the right. We were then instructed to resume our own navigation. Tower stated we had done nothing wrong and that they would handle it. I asked if they needed a report; they said no. Because of the VFR conditions and having the rj in sight; I do not believe it was a near miss situation or I would have taken evasive action. We did not get a TA/RA at any time. If we had been in the WX and the tracks not been altered; then it could have developed into a more serious situation. I believe tower did a nice job ensuring safety would be maintained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ FLT CREW DEPARTING DFW RWY 35L EXPERIENCES COMPASS MALFUNCTION CAUSING LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH MD80 DEPARTING RWY 36R.

Narrative: CLASSIC CHAIN OF EVENTS: DEFERRED EQUIP; LAST MIN CHANGES IN CLRNC; EXPERIENCE LEVEL. DALLAS 8 DEP WITH DEFERRED FMS AND TCAS. JUST AFTER TKOF 'EFIS COMP MONITOR' CAUTION MESSAGE. AS PNF; I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROB AND DETERMINE WHICH DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS ACCURATE. TWR ASSIGNED A 030 DEG HDG. AFTER ALIGNING THE HDGS ON THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO THE PROB OCCURRED 3 MORE TIMES WHILE CLBING TO 10000 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE AN ACCURATE HDG DURING CLBOUT WITH THE STANDBY COMPASS. ATC ASKED ME TO CALL. USED FMS ENRTE NAV. FIX EQUIP INSTEAD OF DEFERRING IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 738773: IMMEDIATELY ON LIFT-OFF WE HAD CAUTION LIGHTS AND MESSAGE FOR 'EFIS COMP MON;' THE AFFECTED DIRECTIONAL GYRO TURNED OUT TO BE ON MY SIDE (PF). I THEREFORE CONTINUED TO HAND FLY THE ACFT USING A COMBINATION OF STANDBY COMPASS AND THE CAPT'S INDICATION WHILE HE TRIED TO RECTIFY MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO INDICATION BY SLEWING IT. THE DEP HAD NO DEPICTION OF THE ROUTING ON THE PFD; AND NO COURSE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WIND DRIFT; SINCE IT ONLY CONSISTED OF A HDG. SEVERAL 'EFIS COMP MON' CAUTION MESSAGES AND ERRORS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. I DO BELIEVE WE ACCURATELY CONTINUED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED HDG; DESPITE THE INDICATION ERRORS. TWR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE; AT THAT MOMENT THE 'EFIS COMP MON' CAUTION RETURNED (WITH FLASHING LIGHTS) AND THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO FIX AGAIN. THIS CAUSED A MOMENTARY DELAY IN SWITCHING FREQS. I QUERIED THE CAPT IF HE HAD CHKED IN ON THE NEW FREQ; BUT THEN THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ; AND ASKED US TO FLY 030 DEGS FOR TFC AND CONTACT DEP. THE CAPT TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD AN EQUIP ISSUE HE WAS RESOLVING. WE IMMEDIATELY FLEW 030 DEGS AS REQUESTED; AND THE CAPT CONTACTED DEP. NOTIFIED BY ATC TO COPY DOWN TELEPHONE NUMBER. ENTERED ENRTE PORTION OF FLT; WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO USE FMS/AUTOPLT. MAINT TESTED SYS ON ARR. QUICK RESOLUTION OF EQUIP ERRORS SO MAX NAV EQUIP AVAILABLE TO CREW. ATC NOT REQUIRE HDG CHANGES FOR TFC DURING INITIAL CLB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 739292: ON RNAV DEP; BLECO; RWY 36R. ON INITIAL CLBOUT NOTICED AN RJ ON DEP FROM RWY 35L. HE WAS SLIGHTLY IN FRONT; APPROX 1 O'CLOCK POS. HE APPEARED TO BE DRIFTING SLIGHTLY W; TOWARD OUR RTE OF FLT. I KEPT AN EYE ON HIM; HE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A THREAT. SHORTLY AFTER; TWR TOLD US TO TURN 30 DEGS TO THE L. I ALSO NOTED THE RJ TURNING TO THE R. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO RESUME OUR OWN NAV. TWR STATED WE HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WOULD HANDLE IT. I ASKED IF THEY NEEDED A RPT; THEY SAID NO. BECAUSE OF THE VFR CONDITIONS AND HAVING THE RJ IN SIGHT; I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A NEAR MISS SITUATION OR I WOULD HAVE TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION. WE DID NOT GET A TA/RA AT ANY TIME. IF WE HAD BEEN IN THE WX AND THE TRACKS NOT BEEN ALTERED; THEN IT COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. I BELIEVE TWR DID A NICE JOB ENSURING SAFETY WOULD BE MAINTAINED.

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.