In the Northern Hemisphere, acceleration on an east heading will cause the compass to indicate a turn toward which direction?

• A. North
• B. South
• C. East
• D. West

Answer: (A)

Acceleration affects the magnetic compass in a way that makes it momentarily deflect when the airplane speeds up or slows down. In the Northern Hemisphere, when you’re on an east heading and you accelerate, the needle tends to swing toward the north. This is a transient reading caused by the inertia of the compass magnet interacting with the changing motion of the airplane, not by an actual change in direction. If you slow down, the indication reverses toward the south. So on an east heading, the compass will indicate a turn toward the north.