NAVAID problems on initial climb. Heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	249827
Time
Date	199308
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	249827
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	249826
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After takeoff and climbing out, the first officer switched from ewr localizer (for DME) to join me on sparta VOR when he noticed his VOR needle was pointing behind the airplane and his CDI was pegged to the right on his VOR indicator. Our departure clearance was heading vector to join the 252 degree radial. I was in the process of turning left to join the airway when departure control asked us 'where we were going.' I recycled my VOR and my CDI swung from a left on course to a right on course. At this time departure gave us a 230 degree heading and a frequency change, at which time we were cleared to east texas direct and on course. No further incidents of this nature for the remainder of the flight. It is my strong suspicion of a cellular telephone or a computer generated interference in this case, as both CDI's were indicating errors of 180 degrees or greater.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NAVAID PROBS ON INITIAL CLB. HDG DEV.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF AND CLBING OUT, THE FO SWITCHED FROM EWR LOC (FOR DME) TO JOIN ME ON SPARTA VOR WHEN HE NOTICED HIS VOR NEEDLE WAS POINTING BEHIND THE AIRPLANE AND HIS CDI WAS PEGGED TO THE R ON HIS VOR INDICATOR. OUR DEP CLRNC WAS HDG VECTOR TO JOIN THE 252 DEG RADIAL. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING L TO JOIN THE AIRWAY WHEN DEP CTL ASKED US 'WHERE WE WERE GOING.' I RECYCLED MY VOR AND MY CDI SWUNG FROM A L ON COURSE TO A R ON COURSE. AT THIS TIME DEP GAVE US A 230 DEG HDG AND A FREQ CHANGE, AT WHICH TIME WE WERE CLRED TO EAST TEXAS DIRECT AND ON COURSE. NO FURTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. IT IS MY STRONG SUSPICION OF A CELLULAR TELEPHONE OR A COMPUTER GENERATED INTERFERENCE IN THIS CASE, AS BOTH CDI'S WERE INDICATING ERRORS OF 180 DEGS OR GREATER.

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.