Narrative:

The problem arose when trying to depart the columbia metropolitan airport. The dg had failed. It had been giving a problem of excessive precessing. The flight was to get a new instrument for the airplane. I did receive the new instrument but had to take it back to florence, sc, to have it installed. As I taxied on to runway 11, I set the dg for 110 degrees. The compass also showed a heading approximately 35 degrees off of the runway heading. The airplane is equipped with a LORAN which will read out ground track in degrees. I decided that this would be the best and most accurate way to fly the heading given by the departure controller. After being handed off to departure by the tower, the controller told me to turn 070 degrees. I started the turn to find that the dg was precessing very badly. The compass was of no help. I switched to the LORAN to try to get to the correct heading of 070 degrees. Columbia is very close to the restr airspace of fort jackson, sc. I was trying to get to this heading by watching the LORAN. The LORAN has a long lag time which takes time to determine where it is and what the ground track the airplane in flying. In the course of trying to figure what heading I was flying, the departure controller asked what heading I was flying. At that moment the LORAN flashed up 300 degrees track. This is what I told the controller. I am not sure that I was actually on 300 degrees as the LORAN will not stablize until you have stopped your turning. The controller seemed to have gotten very angry on the radio when I told him what I was indicating. I was trying as best as I could to get on the proper heading to avoid any problems and not get over the restr airspace. There was no conflict with another aircraft to my knowledge. Also I did not go over the airspace of ft jackson, sc. Using the LORAN and ADF, I was able to complete the flight with no problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK HEADING DEVIATION DEPARTING CAE.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN TRYING TO DEPART THE COLUMBIA METRO ARPT. THE DG HAD FAILED. IT HAD BEEN GIVING A PROB OF EXCESSIVE PRECESSING. THE FLT WAS TO GET A NEW INSTRUMENT FOR THE AIRPLANE. I DID RECEIVE THE NEW INSTRUMENT BUT HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO FLORENCE, SC, TO HAVE IT INSTALLED. AS I TAXIED ON TO RWY 11, I SET THE DG FOR 110 DEGS. THE COMPASS ALSO SHOWED A HDG APPROX 35 DEGS OFF OF THE RWY HDG. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A LORAN WHICH WILL READ OUT GND TRACK IN DEGS. I DECIDED THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEST AND MOST ACCURATE WAY TO FLY THE HDG GIVEN BY THE DEP CTLR. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO DEP BY THE TWR, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN 070 DEGS. I STARTED THE TURN TO FIND THAT THE DG WAS PRECESSING VERY BADLY. THE COMPASS WAS OF NO HELP. I SWITCHED TO THE LORAN TO TRY TO GET TO THE CORRECT HDG OF 070 DEGS. COLUMBIA IS VERY CLOSE TO THE RESTR AIRSPACE OF FORT JACKSON, SC. I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THIS HDG BY WATCHING THE LORAN. THE LORAN HAS A LONG LAG TIME WHICH TAKES TIME TO DETERMINE WHERE IT IS AND WHAT THE GND TRACK THE AIRPLANE IN FLYING. IN THE COURSE OF TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT HDG I WAS FLYING, THE DEP CTLR ASKED WHAT HDG I WAS FLYING. AT THAT MOMENT THE LORAN FLASHED UP 300 DEGS TRACK. THIS IS WHAT I TOLD THE CTLR. I AM NOT SURE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY ON 300 DEGS AS THE LORAN WILL NOT STABLIZE UNTIL YOU HAVE STOPPED YOUR TURNING. THE CTLR SEEMED TO HAVE GOTTEN VERY ANGRY ON THE RADIO WHEN I TOLD HIM WHAT I WAS INDICATING. I WAS TRYING AS BEST AS I COULD TO GET ON THE PROPER HDG TO AVOID ANY PROBS AND NOT GET OVER THE RESTR AIRSPACE. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. ALSO I DID NOT GO OVER THE AIRSPACE OF FT JACKSON, SC. USING THE LORAN AND ADF, I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITH NO PROBS.

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.