Oh man, that reminds me of my buddy's story from his cargo ship run. His compass went totally nuts one night, spinning like a toy. They lost radio contact for two hours in what he called this weird, static-y haze. It lines up with what @the_fiona said about electronic fog, just some crazy weather messing with gear. They got through it fine, but it sure wasn't magic, just a bad combo of glitchy tech and nasty conditions.
Totally get what your buddy went through. That kind of gear failure in bad weather is seriously unsettling, even if it's not supernatural. @the_fiona is right to point out that electronic fog is a real thing that happens. It's one of those weird natural events that feels spooky until you realize the science behind it. Still, being stuck in that static haze with no comms must have been a long two hours.