Narrative:

I was cleared to depart vny with a standard SID canoga 8 departure. Prior I had just fueled and somehow unslaved and 'squed' my dg. I set my GPS to the first fix on the departure. I was cleared for takeoff. I started to track my course with reference to my GPS. When I reached the 2.2 DME mark on the departure I turned to what I believed to be a heading of 210 degrees. I contacted socal approach and saw I had a large error in my course on my GPS and my heading on my directional gyro; as I was figuring out why I became distraction and climbed through my altitude of 1700 ft. The controller advised that I was off my assigned heading. I discussed the directional gyro was unslaved and off. I slaved the directional gyro and it started back to the correct heading. By this time I overshot my heading by about 70 degrees. I started to correct and was then told by ATC I was cleared to continue a climb and direct to gmn; my next fix. The problem was all caused by not simply checking my directional gyro as I lined up on the centerline of the runway. I would have seen the error on the ground and corrected with no problem. Because I did not I became off heading and altitude in one action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH KINGAIR 90 PLT HAS A TRACK AND HDG AND ALTDEV DURING CANOGA 8 DEP FROM VNY.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO DEPART VNY WITH A STANDARD SID CANOGA 8 DEP. PRIOR I HAD JUST FUELED AND SOMEHOW UNSLAVED AND 'SQUED' MY DG. I SET MY GPS TO THE FIRST FIX ON THE DEP. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I STARTED TO TRACK MY COURSE WITH REF TO MY GPS. WHEN I REACHED THE 2.2 DME MARK ON THE DEP I TURNED TO WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A HDG OF 210 DEGS. I CONTACTED SOCAL APCH AND SAW I HAD A LARGE ERROR IN MY COURSE ON MY GPS AND MY HDG ON MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO; AS I WAS FIGURING OUT WHY I BECAME DISTR AND CLBED THROUGH MY ALT OF 1700 FT. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT I WAS OFF MY ASSIGNED HDG. I DISCUSSED THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS UNSLAVED AND OFF. I SLAVED THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND IT STARTED BACK TO THE CORRECT HDG. BY THIS TIME I OVERSHOT MY HDG BY ABOUT 70 DEGS. I STARTED TO CORRECT AND WAS THEN TOLD BY ATC I WAS CLRED TO CONTINUE A CLB AND DIRECT TO GMN; MY NEXT FIX. THE PROB WAS ALL CAUSED BY NOT SIMPLY CHKING MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO AS I LINED UP ON THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY. I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE ERROR ON THE GND AND CORRECTED WITH NO PROB. BECAUSE I DID NOT I BECAME OFF HDG AND ALT IN ONE ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.