Narrative:

The copilot was flying the loupe 4 SID from sjc. The pre departure brief included the crossing restriction of 11000' at sjc VOR. Upon rolling out on a heading at about 120 degrees on the copilot's compass. There was about a 30 degree difference between the captain's and copilot's compasses and no compass flags to indicate which compass was correct. We made the 5000' restriction and turned left about 20 degrees while trying to figure out what compass was correct at about 6000' and the O42 degree right sjc. Departure control said to turn right and cross the sjc VOR at 11000'. I had just switched the copilot to the oak 121 degree right, but he did not hear me when I told him I was switching his VOR to oak, probably due to the confusion which existed because of the compass problem. Then departure control said to turn right. The copilot said he then looked at his DME which was on oak and thought it was still on sjc, and he turned right to go direct to the sjc VOR. I told him he was still very close to sjc and had better got to maximum control power, which I set for him, if he was to make the crossing restriction. He said he thought the controller said at or below 11000' at sjc. I said no, and tuned him back to the sjc VOR and let him fly, try to fly, direct to the VOR using the needle, deciding a turn back left and then right again would probably confuse the compasses and us even more. He continued the right turn to sjc VOR but could never catch up with the needle and put it on the nose. I was busy setting power and trying to figure out the compass problem when the controller started asking questions. Glancing at the DME, I thought we could still make the restriction, but I did not notice right then that we were not heading directly towards the VOR, but were just about to pass abeam it at about 2 mi and only pass 9000' with a climb rate of over 4000 FPM. We intercepted the 338 degree right outbnd and north of the VOR. Confusion with the compass error and an unknown heading, complicated by a complex SID and the controller restating a crossing altitude at 11000' which the copilot misunderstood to mean the controller was changing the restriction to at or below 11000', that's why he mentioned it again. The loupe 4 runway 30 is a complicated SID to comply with, especially when something goes wrong in the cockpit and causes a distraction. It's hard enough with all of your navigation instruments.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WITH COMPASS PROBLEM DEVIATED FROM STAR AND FAILED TO MAKE CROSSING RESTRICTION IN CLIMB.

Narrative: THE COPLT WAS FLYING THE LOUPE 4 SID FROM SJC. THE PRE DEP BRIEF INCLUDED THE XING RESTRICTION OF 11000' AT SJC VOR. UPON ROLLING OUT ON A HDG AT ABOUT 120 DEGS ON THE COPLT'S COMPASS. THERE WAS ABOUT A 30 DEG DIFFERENCE BTWN THE CAPT'S AND COPLT'S COMPASSES AND NO COMPASS FLAGS TO INDICATE WHICH COMPASS WAS CORRECT. WE MADE THE 5000' RESTRICTION AND TURNED LEFT ABOUT 20 DEGS WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COMPASS WAS CORRECT AT ABOUT 6000' AND THE O42 DEG R SJC. DEP CTL SAID TO TURN RIGHT AND CROSS THE SJC VOR AT 11000'. I HAD JUST SWITCHED THE COPLT TO THE OAK 121 DEG R, BUT HE DID NOT HEAR ME WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS SWITCHING HIS VOR TO OAK, PROBABLY DUE TO THE CONFUSION WHICH EXISTED BECAUSE OF THE COMPASS PROB. THEN DEP CTL SAID TO TURN RIGHT. THE COPLT SAID HE THEN LOOKED AT HIS DME WHICH WAS ON OAK AND THOUGHT IT WAS STILL ON SJC, AND HE TURNED RIGHT TO GO DIRECT TO THE SJC VOR. I TOLD HIM HE WAS STILL VERY CLOSE TO SJC AND HAD BETTER GOT TO MAX CONTROL PWR, WHICH I SET FOR HIM, IF HE WAS TO MAKE THE XING RESTRICTION. HE SAID HE THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID AT OR BELOW 11000' AT SJC. I SAID NO, AND TUNED HIM BACK TO THE SJC VOR AND LET HIM FLY, TRY TO FLY, DIRECT TO THE VOR USING THE NEEDLE, DECIDING A TURN BACK LEFT AND THEN RIGHT AGAIN WOULD PROBABLY CONFUSE THE COMPASSES AND US EVEN MORE. HE CONTINUED THE RIGHT TURN TO SJC VOR BUT COULD NEVER CATCH UP WITH THE NEEDLE AND PUT IT ON THE NOSE. I WAS BUSY SETTING PWR AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE COMPASS PROB WHEN THE CTLR STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS. GLANCING AT THE DME, I THOUGHT WE COULD STILL MAKE THE RESTRICTION, BUT I DID NOT NOTICE RIGHT THEN THAT WE WERE NOT HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE VOR, BUT WERE JUST ABOUT TO PASS ABEAM IT AT ABOUT 2 MI AND ONLY PASS 9000' WITH A CLB RATE OF OVER 4000 FPM. WE INTERCEPTED THE 338 DEG R OUTBND AND N OF THE VOR. CONFUSION WITH THE COMPASS ERROR AND AN UNKNOWN HDG, COMPLICATED BY A COMPLEX SID AND THE CTLR RESTATING A XING ALT AT 11000' WHICH THE COPLT MISUNDERSTOOD TO MEAN THE CTLR WAS CHANGING THE RESTRICTION TO AT OR BELOW 11000', THAT'S WHY HE MENTIONED IT AGAIN. THE LOUPE 4 RWY 30 IS A COMPLICATED SID TO COMPLY WITH, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THE COCKPIT AND CAUSES A DISTR. IT'S HARD ENOUGH WITH ALL OF YOUR NAV INSTRUMENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.