Narrative:

I filed IFR to fly round robin from W17 to rdu to W17 for practice approachs at rdu. The WX was 1200 ft overcast and 3 mi at rdu. The forecast was for 700 ft overcast and 3 mi in haze and drizzle. I did my runup and checklist in the runup area which included setting the heading indicator. At XX30 local time, I departed W17. I remained in the pattern at W17 until contacting approach at rdu. The ceiling at W17 was between 1800 ft and 2000 ft MSL and visibility was greater than 3 mi. Due to the marginal conditions I was anxious to contact approach and get the IFR clearance. I did not listen to ATIS before calling approach. I called raleigh approach on 125.3. Approach was expecting me and read my clearance as 'cleared as filed to W17, climb and maintain 3000 ft.' I started the climb. Approach then issued a heading and to expect vectors for runway 5R, and read the current WX at rdu and stated that ATIS was current. I missed the heading and asked for it again. Approach responded with 'fly heading 270 degree' was current. I missed the heading and asked for it again. Approach responded with 'fly heading 270 degrees.' I began a turn to 270 degrees. I had not listened to ATIS and I asked to leave frequency to listen to ATIS. The controller said he had given me the WX, but I could switch frequencys and to report back with him. I continued to track 270 degrees on the heading indicator and listened to ATIS. This took approximately 1 min. I reported back to approach. Approach replied with 'turn right immediately to 300 degrees.' I immediately initiated the turn. The controller then informed me that I was flying toward the garner antenna and that I was not at the minimum altitude for that area. I responded that I had a problem. I was checking the heading indicator to the magnetic compass. I found it to be different, but I was in a turn and could not get an accurate heading. The controller asked if I did not understand the assigned 270 degree heading. I asked if I was tracking away from the tower, and that I had to sort out the problem. The controller again went through that I had been tracking toward the antenna at an altitude below the MVA (the antennae are 2328 ft and I was at 3000 ft). At this time I did not know if I could trust the compass since I had set the heading indicator to it. I leveled off and reset the heading indicator to the compass. I turned to 270 degrees and asked approach what my heading is. He responded to fly 270 degrees. I asked if I was now tracking 270 degrees. He responded that I was now 270 degrees. I let the compass stop swing and checked and reset the heading indicator again. Approach issued a handoff to the next sector. I asked him to verify again that my heading was 270 degrees. He confirmed that it was. I forgot the frequency and had to ask for it again. I was still very nervous, but I was quickly regaining my composure. I flew 2 very good ILS approachs to runway 5R and the rest of the flight was uneventful. No mismatch developed between the heading indicator or the compass for the rest of the flight. Contributing factors: set heading indicator at runup but did not verify with runway heading on takeoff. I either set the heading indicator prior to spin up due to short taxi distance to runup area, or I misread the compass when I set the heading indicator. Heading indicator has little or not precession over hours of flight resulting in too infrequent xchk habit. All of this happened in the first several mins of flight on the gauges and in the clouds. Not listening to ATIS prior to calling approach and changing frequency to listen. Corrective actions: xchk magnetic compass and heading indicator with runway heading on departure. Add magnetic compass to scan at least every several mins and xchk with GPS. Do not leave frequency to listen to ATIS unless in stable cruise flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON PRACTICE IFR FLT MISSETS HDG INDICATOR REFING MAGNETIC COMPASS. DUE TO WRONG HDG HE FLIES TOWARDS TALL ANTENNAE. ATC CAUTIONS THAT HE IS BELOW MVA FOR THE AREA AND ISSUES CORRECTIVE HDG.

Narrative: I FILED IFR TO FLY ROUND ROBIN FROM W17 TO RDU TO W17 FOR PRACTICE APCHS AT RDU. THE WX WAS 1200 FT OVCST AND 3 MI AT RDU. THE FORECAST WAS FOR 700 FT OVCST AND 3 MI IN HAZE AND DRIZZLE. I DID MY RUNUP AND CHKLIST IN THE RUNUP AREA WHICH INCLUDED SETTING THE HDG INDICATOR. AT XX30 LCL TIME, I DEPARTED W17. I REMAINED IN THE PATTERN AT W17 UNTIL CONTACTING APCH AT RDU. THE CEILING AT W17 WAS BTWN 1800 FT AND 2000 FT MSL AND VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 3 MI. DUE TO THE MARGINAL CONDITIONS I WAS ANXIOUS TO CONTACT APCH AND GET THE IFR CLRNC. I DID NOT LISTEN TO ATIS BEFORE CALLING APCH. I CALLED RALEIGH APCH ON 125.3. APCH WAS EXPECTING ME AND READ MY CLRNC AS 'CLRED AS FILED TO W17, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' I STARTED THE CLB. APCH THEN ISSUED A HDG AND TO EXPECT VECTORS FOR RWY 5R, AND READ THE CURRENT WX AT RDU AND STATED THAT ATIS WAS CURRENT. I MISSED THE HDG AND ASKED FOR IT AGAIN. APCH RESPONDED WITH 'FLY HDG 270 DEG' WAS CURRENT. I MISSED THE HDG AND ASKED FOR IT AGAIN. APCH RESPONDED WITH 'FLY HDG 270 DEGS.' I BEGAN A TURN TO 270 DEGS. I HAD NOT LISTENED TO ATIS AND I ASKED TO LEAVE FREQ TO LISTEN TO ATIS. THE CTLR SAID HE HAD GIVEN ME THE WX, BUT I COULD SWITCH FREQS AND TO RPT BACK WITH HIM. I CONTINUED TO TRACK 270 DEGS ON THE HDG INDICATOR AND LISTENED TO ATIS. THIS TOOK APPROX 1 MIN. I RPTED BACK TO APCH. APCH REPLIED WITH 'TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO 300 DEGS.' I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE TURN. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WAS FLYING TOWARD THE GARNER ANTENNA AND THAT I WAS NOT AT THE MINIMUM ALT FOR THAT AREA. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD A PROB. I WAS CHKING THE HDG INDICATOR TO THE MAGNETIC COMPASS. I FOUND IT TO BE DIFFERENT, BUT I WAS IN A TURN AND COULD NOT GET AN ACCURATE HDG. THE CTLR ASKED IF I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNED 270 DEG HDG. I ASKED IF I WAS TRACKING AWAY FROM THE TWR, AND THAT I HAD TO SORT OUT THE PROB. THE CTLR AGAIN WENT THROUGH THAT I HAD BEEN TRACKING TOWARD THE ANTENNA AT AN ALT BELOW THE MVA (THE ANTENNAE ARE 2328 FT AND I WAS AT 3000 FT). AT THIS TIME I DID NOT KNOW IF I COULD TRUST THE COMPASS SINCE I HAD SET THE HDG INDICATOR TO IT. I LEVELED OFF AND RESET THE HDG INDICATOR TO THE COMPASS. I TURNED TO 270 DEGS AND ASKED APCH WHAT MY HDG IS. HE RESPONDED TO FLY 270 DEGS. I ASKED IF I WAS NOW TRACKING 270 DEGS. HE RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOW 270 DEGS. I LET THE COMPASS STOP SWING AND CHKED AND RESET THE HDG INDICATOR AGAIN. APCH ISSUED A HDOF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. I ASKED HIM TO VERIFY AGAIN THAT MY HDG WAS 270 DEGS. HE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS. I FORGOT THE FREQ AND HAD TO ASK FOR IT AGAIN. I WAS STILL VERY NERVOUS, BUT I WAS QUICKLY REGAINING MY COMPOSURE. I FLEW 2 VERY GOOD ILS APCHS TO RWY 5R AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO MISMATCH DEVELOPED BTWN THE HDG INDICATOR OR THE COMPASS FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SET HDG INDICATOR AT RUNUP BUT DID NOT VERIFY WITH RWY HDG ON TKOF. I EITHER SET THE HDG INDICATOR PRIOR TO SPIN UP DUE TO SHORT TAXI DISTANCE TO RUNUP AREA, OR I MISREAD THE COMPASS WHEN I SET THE HDG INDICATOR. HDG INDICATOR HAS LITTLE OR NOT PRECESSION OVER HRS OF FLT RESULTING IN TOO INFREQUENT XCHK HABIT. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN THE FIRST SEVERAL MINS OF FLT ON THE GAUGES AND IN THE CLOUDS. NOT LISTENING TO ATIS PRIOR TO CALLING APCH AND CHANGING FREQ TO LISTEN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: XCHK MAGNETIC COMPASS AND HDG INDICATOR WITH RWY HDG ON DEP. ADD MAGNETIC COMPASS TO SCAN AT LEAST EVERY SEVERAL MINS AND XCHK WITH GPS. DO NOT LEAVE FREQ TO LISTEN TO ATIS UNLESS IN STABLE CRUISE FLT.

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.