Narrative:

On dec/wed/99, while en route from gcn to vgt, we became disoriented and lost. First officer was the PF. Conditions of flight were night and haze. The problem arose when failed to reach the next reporting point. After a few more mins of flight, I attempted to find our exact position by reference vors. We also found that the HSI, which was in the 'slew' mode had precessed 80+ degrees. I took control of the aircraft and proceeded towards the city that was 10-15 mi north of our position. I then instructed the first officer to verify the VOR frequencys, which he did. I then instructed him to find the frequency for center while I attempted to reach nellis and las vegas control. After being unable to reach nellis and las vegas control and the reno FSS, the next step would have been 121.5 to confess our sins. We were now over the city and had begun to descend over the local airport. I recognized the sgu (st george, ut) mormon temple and the big D (for dixie) and knew we were over sgu. We were now 30 mins overdue. At this point, we were 15 mins into our reserve fuel. I made the decision to make a precautionary landing and to take on additional fuel. We parked at the terminal where we offloaded the passenger and informed them of the navigation failure and that we had stopped as an extra precaution. While the aircraft was being fueled, the first officer and myself reviewed all the information we had. We made the decision to follow the highway (I-15) and to try the mormon mesa VOR. Upon departure and climbing through 9700 ft to 10500 ft, we picked up mormon mesa on navigation #1 and also saw the lights of las vegas. Shortly after passing mesquite, nv, we were able to contact nellis control on communication #1 (very weak) and not on communication #2 navigation. I lost and reacquired the mormon mesa VOR continually. The remainder of the flight was easy and uneventful. The passenger were apologized to and they laughed and thanked us for the extended tour. After meeting with the chief pilot, I squawked the following items: 1) HSI error in slaved mode and excessive precession in 'slew' also suggested compass swing. 2) transponder light inoperative. 3) navigation #2 inoperative. 4) navigation #2 VOR light inoperative. 5) navigation #1 weak and intermittent. 6) check left oil pressure gauge reading low. 7) numerous overhead panel lights inoperative. 8) shimmy while taxi and light braking. 9) pilot push-to-talk intermittent. 10) quick drain on battery during normal engine start. 11) communication #2 weak. 12) wet compass light very dim. Cause of problem first officer being unfamiliar with course, haze and night flight. Failure of captain to catch deviation by first officer or precession of HSI (first time crew had flown together). Poor or inoperative equipment in aircraft. At this time, I can think of no other actions that I should have taken after the situation arose. Future prevention: never will I trust that the other pilot knows what's going on. Nor will I ever get lax or complacent in the cockpit, and I am buying a GPS today! As captain, I am at fault and that seems to say it all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA31-350 ATX FLC GETS LOST WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY TO LAS VEGAS AND LANDS AT SGU, UT. THEY DEPART WITH 14 ITEMS OF CONCERN NOT ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK.

Narrative: ON DEC/WED/99, WHILE ENRTE FROM GCN TO VGT, WE BECAME DISORIENTED AND LOST. FO WAS THE PF. CONDITIONS OF FLT WERE NIGHT AND HAZE. THE PROB AROSE WHEN FAILED TO REACH THE NEXT RPTING POINT. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS OF FLT, I ATTEMPTED TO FIND OUR EXACT POS BY REF VORS. WE ALSO FOUND THAT THE HSI, WHICH WAS IN THE 'SLEW' MODE HAD PRECESSED 80+ DEGS. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE CITY THAT WAS 10-15 MI N OF OUR POS. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE FO TO VERIFY THE VOR FREQS, WHICH HE DID. I THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO FIND THE FREQ FOR CTR WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO REACH NELLIS AND LAS VEGAS CTL. AFTER BEING UNABLE TO REACH NELLIS AND LAS VEGAS CTL AND THE RENO FSS, THE NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE BEEN 121.5 TO CONFESS OUR SINS. WE WERE NOW OVER THE CITY AND HAD BEGUN TO DSND OVER THE LCL ARPT. I RECOGNIZED THE SGU (ST GEORGE, UT) MORMON TEMPLE AND THE BIG D (FOR DIXIE) AND KNEW WE WERE OVER SGU. WE WERE NOW 30 MINS OVERDUE. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE 15 MINS INTO OUR RESERVE FUEL. I MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AND TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL FUEL. WE PARKED AT THE TERMINAL WHERE WE OFFLOADED THE PAX AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NAV FAILURE AND THAT WE HAD STOPPED AS AN EXTRA PRECAUTION. WHILE THE ACFT WAS BEING FUELED, THE FO AND MYSELF REVIEWED ALL THE INFO WE HAD. WE MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW THE HWY (I-15) AND TO TRY THE MORMON MESA VOR. UPON DEP AND CLBING THROUGH 9700 FT TO 10500 FT, WE PICKED UP MORMON MESA ON NAV #1 AND ALSO SAW THE LIGHTS OF LAS VEGAS. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING MESQUITE, NV, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT NELLIS CTL ON COM #1 (VERY WEAK) AND NOT ON COM #2 NAV. I LOST AND REACQUIRED THE MORMON MESA VOR CONTINUALLY. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS EASY AND UNEVENTFUL. THE PAX WERE APOLOGIZED TO AND THEY LAUGHED AND THANKED US FOR THE EXTENDED TOUR. AFTER MEETING WITH THE CHIEF PLT, I SQUAWKED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 1) HSI ERROR IN SLAVED MODE AND EXCESSIVE PRECESSION IN 'SLEW' ALSO SUGGESTED COMPASS SWING. 2) XPONDER LIGHT INOP. 3) NAV #2 INOP. 4) NAV #2 VOR LIGHT INOP. 5) NAV #1 WEAK AND INTERMITTENT. 6) CHK L OIL PRESSURE GAUGE READING LOW. 7) NUMEROUS OVERHEAD PANEL LIGHTS INOP. 8) SHIMMY WHILE TAXI AND LIGHT BRAKING. 9) PLT PUSH-TO-TALK INTERMITTENT. 10) QUICK DRAIN ON BATTERY DURING NORMAL ENG START. 11) COM #2 WEAK. 12) WET COMPASS LIGHT VERY DIM. CAUSE OF PROB FO BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH COURSE, HAZE AND NIGHT FLT. FAILURE OF CAPT TO CATCH DEV BY FO OR PRECESSION OF HSI (FIRST TIME CREW HAD FLOWN TOGETHER). POOR OR INOP EQUIP IN ACFT. AT THIS TIME, I CAN THINK OF NO OTHER ACTIONS THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN AFTER THE SIT AROSE. FUTURE PREVENTION: NEVER WILL I TRUST THAT THE OTHER PLT KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. NOR WILL I EVER GET LAX OR COMPLACENT IN THE COCKPIT, AND I AM BUYING A GPS TODAY! AS CAPT, I AM AT FAULT AND THAT SEEMS TO SAY IT ALL.

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.