B727 CAPT DSNDED BELOW INTERMEDIATE APCH ALT DUE DISTR OF THE HSI COMPASS FLAG INDICATION AND ATTEMPTING TO FIND OUT THE PROB. APCH CTLR INTERVENED AT THE SAME TIME THE ACFT ALERT SOUNDED.

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DURING OUR ARR TO LGA; WE WERE CLRED TO 3500 FT. IN OUR DSCNT; AS WE APCHED THE ASSIGNED ALT; THE COMPASS FLAG BECAME VISIBLE ON MY HSI. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED XCHKING MY HSI WITH THE FO'S HSI AND THE WHISKEY COMPASS. I ASKED THE ENGINEER TO SWITCH MY COMPASS SYS TO BOTH ON 2. MY HSI GYRO TUMBLED WHEN HE SWITCHED THE SYS. ABOUT THIS TIME; THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED AND I REALIZED I HAD BEEN DISTR WITH THIS SYS PROB TOO LONG. I HAD FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT THE NEW ALT. I ARRESTED THE DSCNT AND INITIATED A CLB. ATC CALLED AND ASKED US TO CLB TO 3500 FT. I TOLD THE ENGINEER TO RETURN MY COMPASS SYS TO NORMAL. HE SWITCHED THE SYS BACK TO NORMAL AND THE HSI RETURNED TO A NORMAL INDICATION WITH NO FLAGS. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE XFERRED THE CTL TO THE FO UNTIL WE SORTED OUT THIS PROB. THE ONLY EXCUSE I HAVE IS THE PRESSURE WE ARE ALL FEELING IN THE AIRLINES RIGHT NOW. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO NEW YORK SINCE THE ATTACK. I WAS A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE. WE WERE IN IMC; SO LOOKING AT THE DEVASTATION WAS NOT AN ISSUE. I WAS DISTR BY A TRANSIENT SYS FAULT. I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO XFER THE CTLS IN SITS LIKE THIS. HOWEVER; THE COMPELLING URGE TO TAKE CTL OF THE CURRENT SIT AND DO SOMETHING WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO RESIST. EVERY DAY IS A NEW EXPERIENCE AND A CHANCE TO PUT INTO PRACTICE ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN THE SIMULATOR. WE OPERATE IN A NEW AND DIFFERENT WORLD TODAY AND FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. I MUST APPLY MY TRAINING EVERY DAY AND REMAIN VIGILANT FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BRING DOWN ANOTHER AIRLINER.