Narrative:

I performed a dual VOR check on ground. Noted plus or minus 3 degree error. Copied IFR clearance to ukiah airport via buchanan 7 departure, scaggs island transition, V108, as filed, maintain 4000 ft expect 6000 ft 10 mins after departure. Normal takeoff from ccr. Passed ccr VOR en route to (climbing to 4000 ft) scaggs island transition (BCHN7 sgd) on the buchanan 7 departure (BCHN7 ccr). Tuned both vors to 117.0 (ccr) on R281. First both showed a full left deflection. Reach 4000 ft, level. Still trying to intercept R281. 15 mins pass and I still haven't been cleared to 6000 ft. I advised controller since the MDA after scaggs island VOR is 4500 ft. Soon I am at the base of clouds. Report the base of the clouds at 4000 ft. Discover that VOR #2 is showing an off flag with 4 degree left deflection, #1 VOR from flag with full left deflection. I look down, notice landmark which tells me I am 11 mi east of scaggs island VOR. I am cleared to 6000 ft by ZOA. While climbing I tune both vors to scaggs island VOR on 112.1 and obs on 281 degrees. #1 VOR shows to flag and full left deflection and #2 VOR off flag and 2 degree left deflection. When I reach 5000 ft I see I am in a 20 degree left bank. Airspeed indicator is jumping plus or minus 10 KTS and altimeter is jumping plus or minus 50 ft. Soon both my vors show an off flag. I got disoriented and lost. Still in a slight left bank level at 5000 ft. I feel a little scared. I knew that the ceiling was 4000 ft. I call up ZOA and tell them I have a problem and request a descent to 4000 ft. He asks if I am declaring an emergency. I reply with an affirmative. After I declared the emergency he clears me to 4000 ft and asks nature of emergency. I tell him navigation failure and disorientation. I am soon at 4000 ft and see the ground. I am level the wings and am on a 190 degree heading. Controller asks me my intentions. I ask for a return to concord. I report napa county airport in sight. I was 1 mi west of it. He asks me if I want to land at napa. I said negative and request vectors to ccr. Also I request cancellation of emergency. He doesn't acknowledge. Soon there is confusion and the only thing he understands, I want to go back to concord. I am soon handed on to travis with vectors for the lda into ccr. I contact travis. They advise me that I am still on an emergency also the nature is flight instruments failure. I explain to travis about the confusion and miscom. They understand my problem. A few moments later I report ccr in sight and able to go in VFR. I cancel emergency and land safely in ccr. Now I shall narrate what I think you should know. The contributing factors and/or responsible factors. At first when I saw the #2 VOR acting up and knowing that I would be in solid IMC and possible rain I should have returned. Because I was concentrating on my vors while climbing to 6000 ft in IMC I got disoriented and thus lost and a little scared. The VOR failure could be caused by my faulty vors or the station. It was raining thus it may have caused my airspeed indicator and altimeter to jump. The miscom between me and ZOA could be due to my speaking fast and the radios being a little scratchy. Myself getting scared and nervous could have caused myself to act impulsively. Lastly, I now know that these small cessnas shouldn't be trusted in solid IMC. I should have known that and have aborted the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERS IMC WITH VOR FLAG IN OFF POS AND SECOND VOR INDICATING OPPOSITE DIRECTION DEFLECTION.

Narrative: I PERFORMED A DUAL VOR CHK ON GND. NOTED PLUS OR MINUS 3 DEG ERROR. COPIED IFR CLRNC TO UKIAH ARPT VIA BUCHANAN 7 DEP, SCAGGS ISLAND TRANSITION, V108, AS FILED, MAINTAIN 4000 FT EXPECT 6000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP. NORMAL TKOF FROM CCR. PASSED CCR VOR ENRTE TO (CLBING TO 4000 FT) SCAGGS ISLAND TRANSITION (BCHN7 SGD) ON THE BUCHANAN 7 DEP (BCHN7 CCR). TUNED BOTH VORS TO 117.0 (CCR) ON R281. FIRST BOTH SHOWED A FULL L DEFLECTION. REACH 4000 FT, LEVEL. STILL TRYING TO INTERCEPT R281. 15 MINS PASS AND I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN CLRED TO 6000 FT. I ADVISED CTLR SINCE THE MDA AFTER SCAGGS ISLAND VOR IS 4500 FT. SOON I AM AT THE BASE OF CLOUDS. RPT THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS AT 4000 FT. DISCOVER THAT VOR #2 IS SHOWING AN OFF FLAG WITH 4 DEG L DEFLECTION, #1 VOR FROM FLAG WITH FULL L DEFLECTION. I LOOK DOWN, NOTICE LANDMARK WHICH TELLS ME I AM 11 MI E OF SCAGGS ISLAND VOR. I AM CLRED TO 6000 FT BY ZOA. WHILE CLBING I TUNE BOTH VORS TO SCAGGS ISLAND VOR ON 112.1 AND OBS ON 281 DEGS. #1 VOR SHOWS TO FLAG AND FULL L DEFLECTION AND #2 VOR OFF FLAG AND 2 DEG L DEFLECTION. WHEN I REACH 5000 FT I SEE I AM IN A 20 DEG L BANK. AIRSPD INDICATOR IS JUMPING PLUS OR MINUS 10 KTS AND ALTIMETER IS JUMPING PLUS OR MINUS 50 FT. SOON BOTH MY VORS SHOW AN OFF FLAG. I GOT DISORIENTED AND LOST. STILL IN A SLIGHT L BANK LEVEL AT 5000 FT. I FEEL A LITTLE SCARED. I KNEW THAT THE CEILING WAS 4000 FT. I CALL UP ZOA AND TELL THEM I HAVE A PROB AND REQUEST A DSCNT TO 4000 FT. HE ASKS IF I AM DECLARING AN EMER. I REPLY WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE. AFTER I DECLARED THE EMER HE CLRS ME TO 4000 FT AND ASKS NATURE OF EMER. I TELL HIM NAV FAILURE AND DISORIENTATION. I AM SOON AT 4000 FT AND SEE THE GND. I AM LEVEL THE WINGS AND AM ON A 190 DEG HDG. CTLR ASKS ME MY INTENTIONS. I ASK FOR A RETURN TO CONCORD. I RPT NAPA COUNTY ARPT IN SIGHT. I WAS 1 MI W OF IT. HE ASKS ME IF I WANT TO LAND AT NAPA. I SAID NEGATIVE AND REQUEST VECTORS TO CCR. ALSO I REQUEST CANCELLATION OF EMER. HE DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE. SOON THERE IS CONFUSION AND THE ONLY THING HE UNDERSTANDS, I WANT TO GO BACK TO CONCORD. I AM SOON HANDED ON TO TRAVIS WITH VECTORS FOR THE LDA INTO CCR. I CONTACT TRAVIS. THEY ADVISE ME THAT I AM STILL ON AN EMER ALSO THE NATURE IS FLT INSTS FAILURE. I EXPLAIN TO TRAVIS ABOUT THE CONFUSION AND MISCOM. THEY UNDERSTAND MY PROB. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I RPT CCR IN SIGHT AND ABLE TO GO IN VFR. I CANCEL EMER AND LAND SAFELY IN CCR. NOW I SHALL NARRATE WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND/OR RESPONSIBLE FACTORS. AT FIRST WHEN I SAW THE #2 VOR ACTING UP AND KNOWING THAT I WOULD BE IN SOLID IMC AND POSSIBLE RAIN I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED. BECAUSE I WAS CONCENTRATING ON MY VORS WHILE CLBING TO 6000 FT IN IMC I GOT DISORIENTED AND THUS LOST AND A LITTLE SCARED. THE VOR FAILURE COULD BE CAUSED BY MY FAULTY VORS OR THE STATION. IT WAS RAINING THUS IT MAY HAVE CAUSED MY AIRSPD INDICATOR AND ALTIMETER TO JUMP. THE MISCOM BTWN ME AND ZOA COULD BE DUE TO MY SPEAKING FAST AND THE RADIOS BEING A LITTLE SCRATCHY. MYSELF GETTING SCARED AND NERVOUS COULD HAVE CAUSED MYSELF TO ACT IMPULSIVELY. LASTLY, I NOW KNOW THAT THESE SMALL CESSNAS SHOULDN'T BE TRUSTED IN SOLID IMC. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT AND HAVE ABORTED THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.