Narrative:

Bhm-bed aircraft owner flying left seat for training purposes, PIC right seat. Normal and uneventful flight until reaching bedford (passenger pick-up). WX reported 800 ft obscured 1 mi visibility with blowing snow. Attempted ILS runway 11, no reception on localizer. Missed approach. Attempted ILS runway 29, no reception and all flags showing on 111.15. Attempted VOR 23 -- VOR indication erratic and unreliable at howdie intersection. Controller called low altitude warning and we missed approach again. At this point I could not understand what was happening as all radios had been operating normally. I also realized at this point it was too late to divert to our filed alternate, albany. Besides, I might not have any better luck there. Attempted NDB 29 -- ADF needle stuck on 310 degrees rb -- missed approach. Never verified station passage. At this point I requested vectors to the airport, as I had ground contact below 2000 ft MSL. The controller replied I would have to declare emergency due to low visibility. I replied 'alright, we're declaring emergency.' we were given a surveillance approach to bed and landed normally with 1000 pounds fuel remaining. Aircraft was placed in a heated hangar and inspected by an avionics technician. He found no problems, and attributed problem to condensation, antenna and 'P static' problems due to snow and ice. In summary I probably should have gone to an alternate after first missed approach, however, I thought we would have no problem with the VOR, and I was familiar with the bedford airport and surrounding area. It was after missing the VOR 23 that I realized we were in a tight spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF JC21 ENCOUNTERS WX AND HAS ALL NAVAIDS FAIL. REQUESTS RADAR VECTORS.

Narrative: BHM-BED ACFT OWNER FLYING L SEAT FOR TRAINING PURPOSES, PIC R SEAT. NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL FLT UNTIL REACHING BEDFORD (PAX PICK-UP). WX RPTED 800 FT OBSCURED 1 MI VIS WITH BLOWING SNOW. ATTEMPTED ILS RWY 11, NO RECEPTION ON LOC. MISSED APCH. ATTEMPTED ILS RWY 29, NO RECEPTION AND ALL FLAGS SHOWING ON 111.15. ATTEMPTED VOR 23 -- VOR INDICATION ERRATIC AND UNRELIABLE AT HOWDIE INTXN. CTLR CALLED LOW ALT WARNING AND WE MISSED APCH AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING AS ALL RADIOS HAD BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY. I ALSO REALIZED AT THIS POINT IT WAS TOO LATE TO DIVERT TO OUR FILED ALTERNATE, ALBANY. BESIDES, I MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY BETTER LUCK THERE. ATTEMPTED NDB 29 -- ADF NEEDLE STUCK ON 310 DEGS RB -- MISSED APCH. NEVER VERIFIED STATION PASSAGE. AT THIS POINT I REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE ARPT, AS I HAD GND CONTACT BELOW 2000 FT MSL. THE CTLR REPLIED I WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE EMER DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY. I REPLIED 'ALRIGHT, WE'RE DECLARING EMER.' WE WERE GIVEN A SURVEILLANCE APCH TO BED AND LANDED NORMALLY WITH 1000 LBS FUEL REMAINING. ACFT WAS PLACED IN A HEATED HANGAR AND INSPECTED BY AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN. HE FOUND NO PROBS, AND ATTRIBUTED PROB TO CONDENSATION, ANTENNA AND 'P STATIC' PROBS DUE TO SNOW AND ICE. IN SUMMARY I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GONE TO AN ALTERNATE AFTER FIRST MISSED APCH, HOWEVER, I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE NO PROB WITH THE VOR, AND I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE BEDFORD ARPT AND SURROUNDING AREA. IT WAS AFTER MISSING THE VOR 23 THAT I REALIZED WE WERE IN A TIGHT SPOT.

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.