Definition
The collective term for the inherent inaccuracies that affect a magnetic compass in flight, caused by the physical design of the instrument and the way Earth's magnetic field interacts with it during acceleration, deceleration, and turns. The principal induced errors are variation, deviation, magnetic dip, acceleration/deceleration error, and northerly/southerly turning error.
Plain English
These are the built-in flaws of the magnetic compass. It does not always point to magnetic north accurately, especially when the aircraft is speeding up, slowing down, or turning. Pilots have to know about these flaws so they can interpret the compass correctly.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning how to use the magnetic compass, especially during turns or speed changes when the compass does not seem to match the airplane’s actual direction.
Derivation
"Induced" comes from the Latin inducere, meaning "to lead in" or "bring about." The errors are not faults in the compass itself — they are brought about by motion of the aircraft and by the geometry of Earth's magnetic field. Knowing the errors are induced (caused by something) helps pilots remember they appear only under specific conditions, not all the time.
Why Pilots Care
Failing to recognize these errors can produce incorrect heading information, leading to navigation deviations or loss of situational awareness during maneuvers.
Grounding Statement
During a turn or speed change, the compass is still trying to point with the Earth’s magnetic field, but the airplane’s motion can briefly pull the compass indication away from the true direction.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “induced errors” means the pilot made a mistake or the compass is broken. Here, “induced” means the errors are caused by normal aircraft motion acting on the magnetic compass.
Example Sentence 1
During the preflight briefing, the instructor reviewed the magnetic compass induced errors so the student would know why the compass swung during the turn from north.
Example Sentence 2
Acceleration during the climb caused magnetic compass induced errors, so the pilot cross-checked the heading indicator before turning.