Narrative:

I was on a 105 degree radial from stonewall VOR 113.8 southwest of austin, tx, towards full stop at san marcus hyi. Had contacted san angelo FSS on 122.3 at junction VOR. They said WX was clear to my destination and was moving southeast. I understand not all developing WX shows up on their radar. Approximately 55 mi from stonewall VOR I saw a line of very dark thunderstorms in my flight path. I diverted northeast around storms and south on route 81 approximately 20 mi north of hyi. I was dodging storms and unable to locate airport, so I continued southwest towards san antonio, still along route 81. Most importantly, when I diverted towards austin from 105 degree radial from stonewall VOR, I was very close (5 mi) to the storm activity and lost all navs (vors, DME ADF) and all communications, I assume due to static electricity buildup. I continued towards san antonio on southwest direction looking for a reasonable place to safely land. I know that I was very close to san antonio international as I could see their departures at my equal elevation and opposite direction. I felt that I couldn't go any closer to san antonio for safety reasons. Visibility was very poor. Turbulence was above mild and my family was uptight. I circled southwest of san antonio and decided to move south of san antonio international. When I saw kelly AFB I decided it was time to put it down. I rocked my wings on left base and flashed my landing light 5 times on final and came down with a safe, smart full stop at kelly AFB. Knowing the repercussions prior to landing, I believe my family would have lost all respect for me if I had tried to land at stinson, which was a short field with obstacles in poor WX. I know I idented 1200 but did not squawk 7700/7600 as it was more important to concentrate on flying. Also, I recirculated radio/navigation controls to no avail. I believe cause of problem was that I was flying parallel and very close to thunderstorm activity and there was a probable static electricity discharge/interference. My radio was 'staticy' and I know no one heard me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA28 LOST ALL NAV AND COM RADIOS WHEN FLYING NEAR TSTMS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT MISSED HIS DEST DUE TO THE LINE OF STORMS IN FRONT OF HIS RTE AND WAS LOST FOR SOMETIME UNTIL RECOGNIZING LANDMARKS. HE THEN CONTINUED TO THE NEAREST VFR ARPT, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE A MIL BASE, FLASHED HIS LNDG LIGHT ON FINAL AND LANDED.

Narrative: I WAS ON A 105 DEG RADIAL FROM STONEWALL VOR 113.8 SW OF AUSTIN, TX, TOWARDS FULL STOP AT SAN MARCUS HYI. HAD CONTACTED SAN ANGELO FSS ON 122.3 AT JUNCTION VOR. THEY SAID WX WAS CLR TO MY DEST AND WAS MOVING SE. I UNDERSTAND NOT ALL DEVELOPING WX SHOWS UP ON THEIR RADAR. APPROX 55 MI FROM STONEWALL VOR I SAW A LINE OF VERY DARK TSTMS IN MY FLT PATH. I DIVERTED NE AROUND STORMS AND S ON RTE 81 APPROX 20 MI N OF HYI. I WAS DODGING STORMS AND UNABLE TO LOCATE ARPT, SO I CONTINUED SW TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO, STILL ALONG RTE 81. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHEN I DIVERTED TOWARDS AUSTIN FROM 105 DEG RADIAL FROM STONEWALL VOR, I WAS VERY CLOSE (5 MI) TO THE STORM ACTIVITY AND LOST ALL NAVS (VORS, DME ADF) AND ALL COMS, I ASSUME DUE TO STATIC ELECTRICITY BUILDUP. I CONTINUED TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO ON SW DIRECTION LOOKING FOR A REASONABLE PLACE TO SAFELY LAND. I KNOW THAT I WAS VERY CLOSE TO SAN ANTONIO INTL AS I COULD SEE THEIR DEPS AT MY EQUAL ELEVATION AND OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I FELT THAT I COULDN'T GO ANY CLOSER TO SAN ANTONIO FOR SAFETY REASONS. VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR. TURB WAS ABOVE MILD AND MY FAMILY WAS UPTIGHT. I CIRCLED SW OF SAN ANTONIO AND DECIDED TO MOVE S OF SAN ANTONIO INTL. WHEN I SAW KELLY AFB I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO PUT IT DOWN. I ROCKED MY WINGS ON L BASE AND FLASHED MY LNDG LIGHT 5 TIMES ON FINAL AND CAME DOWN WITH A SAFE, SMART FULL STOP AT KELLY AFB. KNOWING THE REPERCUSSIONS PRIOR TO LNDG, I BELIEVE MY FAMILY WOULD HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT FOR ME IF I HAD TRIED TO LAND AT STINSON, WHICH WAS A SHORT FIELD WITH OBSTACLES IN POOR WX. I KNOW I IDENTED 1200 BUT DID NOT SQUAWK 7700/7600 AS IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING. ALSO, I RECIRCULATED RADIO/NAV CTLS TO NO AVAIL. I BELIEVE CAUSE OF PROB WAS THAT I WAS FLYING PARALLEL AND VERY CLOSE TO TSTM ACTIVITY AND THERE WAS A PROBABLE STATIC ELECTRICITY DISCHARGE/INTERFERENCE. MY RADIO WAS 'STATICY' AND I KNOW NO ONE HEARD ME.

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.