Stuck Magnetic Compass

[jweldon]

I recently rented a plane and discovered it had a stuck mag compass. The compass card (horizontal 172 standard fare) was tilted between 45° and 60° relative to the horizon and pegged there. It also wasn't tracking north. I moved a bit on the ramp and did a 360 to try and free it, but it didn't work, so I taxied back and mentally prepared myself to complain to everyone that could listen about the flight school I fly at. As luck would have it, I accidentally brushed it while collecting my personal things and the compass righted itself. Although I probably shouldn't have, I re initiated the flight and put it out of my mind. (I was only doing a lap in the pattern, so I convinced myself everything was ok)

I've had some time to stew on it, and am incidentally flying the same plane again. Do y'all think someone was doing something they shouldn't in the plane, and that caused the compass to become stuck? I can't think of anything that would cause a compass to be stuck. Illegal and stupid aerobatics scare me...

How's that for brevity?

 

[Stinger]

Could have been something magnetic that was brushed over it I'm guessing too.

 

[Roger Roger]

Probably just an old POS compass.

 

[Mike Wise]

I recently rented a plane and discovered it had a stuck mag compass. The compass card (horizontal 172 standard fare) was tilted between 45° and 60° relative to the horizon and pegged there. It also wasn't tracking north. I moved a bit on the ramp and did a 360 to try and free it, but it didn't work, so I taxied back and mentally prepared myself to complain to everyone that could listen about the flight school I fly at. As luck would have it, I accidentally brushed it while collecting my personal things and the compass righted itself. Although I probably shouldn't have, I re initiated the flight and put it out of my mind. (I was only doing a lap in the pattern, so I convinced myself everything was ok)

I've had some time to stew on it, and am incidentally flying the same plane again. Do y'all think someone was doing something they shouldn't in the plane, and that caused the compass to become stuck? I can't think of anything that would cause a compass to be stuck. Illegal and stupid aerobatics scare me...

How's that for brevity?

Maybe even just not enough of that liquid in it or something.

 

[tcco94]

I've flown Cessna's that go through many spins a month with a fully working mag. compass so I can't imagine what aerobatics would make it tilt so significantly

 

[CFI A&P]

Sounds more like outside interference. Cell phone, GPS or ADS-B receiver on the panel?

In all the aerobatics I've done, I have never had a mag compass issue, some people have had a mental compass issue but that can be expected with the maneuvering during aerobatics.


Sent from my StarTac using Etch A Sketch.

 

[mshunter]

The compass exceeded it's limits and stuck. Someone was either learning stalls, or someone was doing something they shouldn't have been.

Edit: Next time give it a rap with your knuckles, and it should jump back to normal. This is why we verify these things before we get airborne (compass matches runway heading, DG matches compass, runway agrees with DG and compass), not after.

 

[Markf64]

The compass exceeded it's limits and stuck. Someone was either learning stalls, or someone was doing something they shouldn't have been.

This

Or the fluid is low because someone misunderstood the term 'whiskey' compass

 

[jweldon]

The compass exceeded it's limits and stuck. Someone was either learning stalls, or someone was doing something they shouldn't have been.

Edit: Next time give it a rap with your knuckles, and it should jump back to normal. This is why we verify these things before we get airborne (compass matches runway heading, DG matches compass, runway agrees with DG and compass), not after.

It was functional before I taxied to the run up
I don't know, it just seemed weird to me so I was thinking someone was messing around. The compass was either full or empty, I didn't see any lines that would indicate partially full .

 

[jweldon]

Sounds more like outside interference. Cell phone, GPS or ADS-B receiver on the panel?

In all the aerobatics I've done, I have never had a mag compass issue, some people have had a mental compass issue but that can be expected with the maneuvering during aerobatics.


Sent from my StarTac using Etch A Sketch.

I was just about to say there was nothing on the panel, but now I'm remembering I had my iPad up there..... and my ipad has a pivot case, which has a magnet...
I might have accidentally stuck the magnet myself

 

[CFI A&P]

I was just about to say there was nothing on the panel, but now I'm remembering I had my iPad up there..... and my ipad has a pivot case, which has a magnet...
I might have accidentally stuck the magnet myself

The iPad has a speaker, which is has a magnet.


Sent from my StarTac using Etch A Sketch.

 

[Markf64]

I was just about to say there was nothing on the panel, but now I'm remembering I had my iPad up there..... and my ipad has a pivot case, which has a magnet...
I might have accidentally stuck the magnet myself

This sounds like a logical reason and good to know since many of us on here fly with iPads these days. Let us know if this was indeed the case.

 

[BigZ]

IPad will peg the mag compass
Which is why you don't put it up on the dash