Narrative:

The following describes 2 major navigation errors, which occurred on the same flight from rsw to fxe. These errors occurred due to lack of communication with ATC and instrument malfunction. Subsequent maintenance checks confirmed that the VOR element of navigation #1 (HSI) was not properly calibrated. Event #1: I was handed off to ZMA 132.45 and received clearance up to 9000 ft MSL and direct virginia key VOR. I could not receive a reliable signal (no 'to' or 'from' indication) on navigation #1 and communicated this to ATC. Since I was at least 80 mi from virginia key VOR, I asked ATC if I could go to fll VOR instead, since it was closer. ATC asked me if fll was operational, and since it was back from maintenance, I responded that I believed it was. ATC cleared me direct fll VOR. I was unable to receive a 'to' or 'from' indication, and asked ATC for vectors direct fll. I did not receive an immediate response, which is common. During the lapse in communication, I attempted to see if I could achieve a reliable signal. Ultimately, I did get a 'to' indication with needle centered on a southwest heading. ATC queried me and informed me I was heading the wrong direction, at which time I responded by asking for vectors direct to fll, which was immediately approved. Due to the distance from my position to either NAVAID, it did not occur to me that there might be a major problem with the HSI. Event #2: approaching the fll area from 25 mi, I was cleared by mia approach down to 2200 ft and 110 degrees assigned. Approximately 10 mi out, I was asked to keep my speed up, which I was able to oblige. 3 mi from praiz, I slowed the aircraft to normal approach speed and began to fly a normal approach to landing profile. Upon reaching praiz, I was on GS with localizer centered on navigation #1 HSI. I put the gear down and started down with normal indications, ball and needle centered. At approximately 1700 ft MSL, I began to get a slight needle deflection to the left. I corrected with a 5 degree heading change to the left. This heading indication temporarily stopped the deflection. I corrected slightly more to the left to get back on course. As I added several degrees to the left, the needle began to slowly deflect more to the left. Through 1500 ft the needle was at 3/4 deflection and I corrected to the left once more. At 1200 ft, ATC tersely informed me I was 1 mi north of the airport. Looking out, seeing no airport, I declared missed. As I looked under my right wing, I could make out the field, so I then canceled IFR and landed VFR. Having performed over 60 approachs in the previous 6 months, I was very skeptical. I decided to stay in pattern for several touch-and-goes to see if the localizer on navigation #1 worked. In each subsequent pass, the GS worked, but the localizer never came 'alive.' in the maintenance check the following day, the localizer on the subject HSI was found to be in working order. I attribute the above error to the high electrical loads placed on this 1980 model at night. I confirmed that the localizer was not working with my own research, following the subject approach. As PIC, I am responsible for all facets of each flight, therefore, each situation detailed herein is my responsibility. While I take ownership of the above flight, I won't be taking this aircraft up at night again. I am thankful there was no terrain, and I should have paid closer attention to the RMI on the approach, so I had some indication of a problem. I learned from this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA27 PLT MADE SEVERAL NAV ERRORS IN ZMA'S AIRSPACE, CAUSING TRACK DEVS.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBES 2 MAJOR NAV ERRORS, WHICH OCCURRED ON THE SAME FLT FROM RSW TO FXE. THESE ERRORS OCCURRED DUE TO LACK OF COM WITH ATC AND INST MALFUNCTION. SUBSEQUENT MAINT CHKS CONFIRMED THAT THE VOR ELEMENT OF NAV #1 (HSI) WAS NOT PROPERLY CALIBRATED. EVENT #1: I WAS HANDED OFF TO ZMA 132.45 AND RECEIVED CLRNC UP TO 9000 FT MSL AND DIRECT VIRGINIA KEY VOR. I COULD NOT RECEIVE A RELIABLE SIGNAL (NO 'TO' OR 'FROM' INDICATION) ON NAV #1 AND COMMUNICATED THIS TO ATC. SINCE I WAS AT LEAST 80 MI FROM VIRGINIA KEY VOR, I ASKED ATC IF I COULD GO TO FLL VOR INSTEAD, SINCE IT WAS CLOSER. ATC ASKED ME IF FLL WAS OPERATIONAL, AND SINCE IT WAS BACK FROM MAINT, I RESPONDED THAT I BELIEVED IT WAS. ATC CLRED ME DIRECT FLL VOR. I WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE A 'TO' OR 'FROM' INDICATION, AND ASKED ATC FOR VECTORS DIRECT FLL. I DID NOT RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, WHICH IS COMMON. DURING THE LAPSE IN COM, I ATTEMPTED TO SEE IF I COULD ACHIEVE A RELIABLE SIGNAL. ULTIMATELY, I DID GET A 'TO' INDICATION WITH NEEDLE CTRED ON A SW HDG. ATC QUERIED ME AND INFORMED ME I WAS HDG THE WRONG DIRECTION, AT WHICH TIME I RESPONDED BY ASKING FOR VECTORS DIRECT TO FLL, WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY APPROVED. DUE TO THE DISTANCE FROM MY POS TO EITHER NAVAID, IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A MAJOR PROB WITH THE HSI. EVENT #2: APCHING THE FLL AREA FROM 25 MI, I WAS CLRED BY MIA APCH DOWN TO 2200 FT AND 110 DEGS ASSIGNED. APPROX 10 MI OUT, I WAS ASKED TO KEEP MY SPD UP, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO OBLIGE. 3 MI FROM PRAIZ, I SLOWED THE ACFT TO NORMAL APCH SPD AND BEGAN TO FLY A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG PROFILE. UPON REACHING PRAIZ, I WAS ON GS WITH LOC CTRED ON NAV #1 HSI. I PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND STARTED DOWN WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS, BALL AND NEEDLE CTRED. AT APPROX 1700 FT MSL, I BEGAN TO GET A SLIGHT NEEDLE DEFLECTION TO THE L. I CORRECTED WITH A 5 DEG HDG CHANGE TO THE L. THIS HDG INDICATION TEMPORARILY STOPPED THE DEFLECTION. I CORRECTED SLIGHTLY MORE TO THE L TO GET BACK ON COURSE. AS I ADDED SEVERAL DEGS TO THE L, THE NEEDLE BEGAN TO SLOWLY DEFLECT MORE TO THE L. THROUGH 1500 FT THE NEEDLE WAS AT 3/4 DEFLECTION AND I CORRECTED TO THE L ONCE MORE. AT 1200 FT, ATC TERSELY INFORMED ME I WAS 1 MI N OF THE ARPT. LOOKING OUT, SEEING NO ARPT, I DECLARED MISSED. AS I LOOKED UNDER MY R WING, I COULD MAKE OUT THE FIELD, SO I THEN CANCELED IFR AND LANDED VFR. HAVING PERFORMED OVER 60 APCHS IN THE PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS, I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL. I DECIDED TO STAY IN PATTERN FOR SEVERAL TOUCH-AND-GOES TO SEE IF THE LOC ON NAV #1 WORKED. IN EACH SUBSEQUENT PASS, THE GS WORKED, BUT THE LOC NEVER CAME 'ALIVE.' IN THE MAINT CHK THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE LOC ON THE SUBJECT HSI WAS FOUND TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. I ATTRIBUTE THE ABOVE ERROR TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL LOADS PLACED ON THIS 1980 MODEL AT NIGHT. I CONFIRMED THAT THE LOC WAS NOT WORKING WITH MY OWN RESEARCH, FOLLOWING THE SUBJECT APCH. AS PIC, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL FACETS OF EACH FLT, THEREFORE, EACH SIT DETAILED HEREIN IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. WHILE I TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE ABOVE FLT, I WON'T BE TAKING THIS ACFT UP AT NIGHT AGAIN. I AM THANKFUL THERE WAS NO TERRAIN, AND I SHOULD HAVE PAID CLOSER ATTN TO THE RMI ON THE APCH, SO I HAD SOME INDICATION OF A PROB. I LEARNED FROM THIS.

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.