Narrative:

Departed air strip 5400 ft MSL. WX was VFR, 1 day after 3 day snow storm. The first leg of flight was 90 mi to igm flying on a 245 degree heading. I started to fly over broken clouds below. I was ascending to 6500 ft. I still could not get a good signal from igm VOR. The cloud cover below started to close up completely. I was watching my time versus climb speed. At approximately 45 mins, I should have been on top of airport, but never received VOR signal. I tried unicom frequency but could not send or receive. When I finally had clearing below I was over unfamiliar terrain. I tried edd VOR but could not pick up reliable signal. I was flying at 7500 ft. I was then navigating over a populated area, trying to get my position with a sectional. I saw a large airport approximately 3 mi to my south -- it was las vegas, nv. With no radio, or VOR inoperable, I climbed to 9500 ft and flew a large circle heading southeast to a small airport. I idented the airport to be 0l7, jean airport. Landed, fueled and my radios started working. I naved to hector VOR with a good signal and flew home. I took it to an avionics shop and had a new GPS installed and antennas checked. They said all the snow and water probably shorted signals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C185 COMMERCIAL RATED PLT GETS LOST WHEN LOSING COM AND NAV CAPABILITIES, ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE 3 MI N OF LAS, NV.

Narrative: DEPARTED AIR STRIP 5400 FT MSL. WX WAS VFR, 1 DAY AFTER 3 DAY SNOW STORM. THE FIRST LEG OF FLT WAS 90 MI TO IGM FLYING ON A 245 DEG HDG. I STARTED TO FLY OVER BROKEN CLOUDS BELOW. I WAS ASCENDING TO 6500 FT. I STILL COULD NOT GET A GOOD SIGNAL FROM IGM VOR. THE CLOUD COVER BELOW STARTED TO CLOSE UP COMPLETELY. I WAS WATCHING MY TIME VERSUS CLB SPD. AT APPROX 45 MINS, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON TOP OF ARPT, BUT NEVER RECEIVED VOR SIGNAL. I TRIED UNICOM FREQ BUT COULD NOT SEND OR RECEIVE. WHEN I FINALLY HAD CLRING BELOW I WAS OVER UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN. I TRIED EDD VOR BUT COULD NOT PICK UP RELIABLE SIGNAL. I WAS FLYING AT 7500 FT. I WAS THEN NAVING OVER A POPULATED AREA, TRYING TO GET MY POS WITH A SECTIONAL. I SAW A LARGE ARPT APPROX 3 MI TO MY S -- IT WAS LAS VEGAS, NV. WITH NO RADIO, OR VOR INOPERABLE, I CLBED TO 9500 FT AND FLEW A LARGE CIRCLE HDG SE TO A SMALL ARPT. I IDENTED THE ARPT TO BE 0L7, JEAN ARPT. LANDED, FUELED AND MY RADIOS STARTED WORKING. I NAVED TO HECTOR VOR WITH A GOOD SIGNAL AND FLEW HOME. I TOOK IT TO AN AVIONICS SHOP AND HAD A NEW GPS INSTALLED AND ANTENNAS CHKED. THEY SAID ALL THE SNOW AND WATER PROBABLY SHORTED SIGNALS.

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.