Narrative:

Flight left ewr on a return flight to dfw. After departure, we were instructed by ny departure to proceed directly to parke intersection. Before reaching parke intersection, ny departure control instructed us to turn 10 degrees left and intercept the lrp 067 degree radial and proceed inbound. Upon intercepting the lrp 067 degree radial and passing 13000 ft, ny departure advised us that we were south of course. The flight crew seemed puzzled because our navigation instruments at the time (VOR) were showing us on the radial. Once past lrp and between flirt intersection and mrb, the aircraft was being coupled to the inertial navigation system. While following the commands of the INS, ZNY asked 'where are you going?' upon hearing this transmission, the flight crew immediately realized something was wrong and asked the #1 flight attendant to check the cabin for usage of illegal electronic devices. While she was doing that task, the flight crew noticed that both navigation compass system were in error by 40 degrees with the wet compass. Upon advising center of this problem, they gave us a vector towards mrb. At the same time, the #1 flight attendant returned and advised us that there were 2 game boys in use (electronic games), 1 walkman in use, and 1 cellular phone in use. The flight crew advised the #1 flight attendant to return to the cabin and shut down the cellular phone. Upon reslaving our compasses (reslaving of compasses were done 2 times on the ground) and advising ZNY of our navigation difficulties, the compasses realigned and flight proceeded without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NAV COMPASS SYS ERROR CAUSES NAV DEV. PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN USE.

Narrative: FLT LEFT EWR ON A RETURN FLT TO DFW. AFTER DEP, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY NY DEP TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO PARKE INTXN. BEFORE REACHING PARKE INTXN, NY DEP CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TURN 10 DEGS L AND INTERCEPT THE LRP 067 DEG RADIAL AND PROCEED INBOUND. UPON INTERCEPTING THE LRP 067 DEG RADIAL AND PASSING 13000 FT, NY DEP ADVISED US THAT WE WERE S OF COURSE. THE FLC SEEMED PUZZLED BECAUSE OUR NAV INSTS AT THE TIME (VOR) WERE SHOWING US ON THE RADIAL. ONCE PAST LRP AND BTWN FLIRT INTXN AND MRB, THE ACFT WAS BEING COUPLED TO THE INERTIAL NAV SYS. WHILE FOLLOWING THE COMMANDS OF THE INS, ZNY ASKED 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' UPON HEARING THIS XMISSION, THE FLC IMMEDIATELY REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND ASKED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO CHK THE CABIN FOR USAGE OF ILLEGAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. WHILE SHE WAS DOING THAT TASK, THE FLC NOTICED THAT BOTH NAV COMPASS SYS WERE IN ERROR BY 40 DEGS WITH THE WET COMPASS. UPON ADVISING CTR OF THIS PROB, THEY GAVE US A VECTOR TOWARDS MRB. AT THE SAME TIME, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED AND ADVISED US THAT THERE WERE 2 GAME BOYS IN USE (ELECTRONIC GAMES), 1 WALKMAN IN USE, AND 1 CELLULAR PHONE IN USE. THE FLC ADVISED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO RETURN TO THE CABIN AND SHUT DOWN THE CELLULAR PHONE. UPON RESLAVING OUR COMPASSES (RESLAVING OF COMPASSES WERE DONE 2 TIMES ON THE GND) AND ADVISING ZNY OF OUR NAV DIFFICULTIES, THE COMPASSES REALIGNED AND FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.