Narrative:

I took off from paris, identification, with VFR conditions. I climbed out to 12000 ft. I then decided to get across the mountains, I would climb to 13000 ft approximately 5-10 mins. From there, I tried to tune in the malad VOR, idented and kept on my heading. The VOR, after a short time, acted like it wasn't working, so I tried to identify another one, which also would not track properly. At this time we were VFR on top and in very close proximity to the mountains, so I decided that the navigation radios were useless and that we would turn back. But the clouds were starting to build with vertical development and I couldn't get back. They had twred all around, so this is the next thing that went wrong. First the not so marginal WX of 10 mi visibility, 4800 ft AGL, broken (VFR) at the destination, then the actual decision to go, then the navigation radios, then the clouds and then a cloud from beneath me. I suppose because I didn't fly directly into it came from below and immediately I was IMC and building ice very rapidly. Full power and a climb attitude was producing 1200 FPM descent, so I put the radios on 121.5 and the only response I received was an air carrier pilot. He said he would get me some help. I then was turned over to slc approach, which was no help whatsoever. I said pan pan, which didn't excite them at all. He told me to stand by. Then he went about his normal business. I then, very panic stricken, asked for vectors away from the terrain. I believe it was another standby, then he told me I was directly over the lgu VOR. I told him negative, I was 7.8 mi out from this point. I believe he went back to his routine. I should have said mayday I guess and squawked 7700, but I was just too busy trying to fly the plane. I broke out and then flew a visual to the airport. A lot went wrong that day, poor judgement, faulty equipment, poor controller-to-pilot communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C172 DEPARTS WITH VFR CONDITIONS AND DISCOVERS HIS VOR NAV EQUIP IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHILE TRYING TO GET ACROSS SOME MOUNTAINS, HE FINDS HIMSELF IN IMC AND EXPERIENCING ICING, UNABLE TO CLB. BROADCASTING ON 121 PT 5 HE IS ABLE TO CONTACT APCH, BUT HAVING USED 'PAN PAN' RATHER THAN 'MAY DAY' HE IS NOT OFFERED MUCH HELP. HE FINALLY BREAKS OUT OF IMC AND FINDS THE ARPT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM PARIS, ID, WITH VFR CONDITIONS. I CLBED OUT TO 12000 FT. I THEN DECIDED TO GET ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS, I WOULD CLB TO 13000 FT APPROX 5-10 MINS. FROM THERE, I TRIED TO TUNE IN THE MALAD VOR, IDENTED AND KEPT ON MY HDG. THE VOR, AFTER A SHORT TIME, ACTED LIKE IT WASN'T WORKING, SO I TRIED TO IDENT ANOTHER ONE, WHICH ALSO WOULD NOT TRACK PROPERLY. AT THIS TIME WE WERE VFR ON TOP AND IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO THE MOUNTAINS, SO I DECIDED THAT THE NAV RADIOS WERE USELESS AND THAT WE WOULD TURN BACK. BUT THE CLOUDS WERE STARTING TO BUILD WITH VERT DEVELOPMENT AND I COULDN'T GET BACK. THEY HAD TWRED ALL AROUND, SO THIS IS THE NEXT THING THAT WENT WRONG. FIRST THE NOT SO MARGINAL WX OF 10 MI VISIBILITY, 4800 FT AGL, BROKEN (VFR) AT THE DEST, THEN THE ACTUAL DECISION TO GO, THEN THE NAV RADIOS, THEN THE CLOUDS AND THEN A CLOUD FROM BENEATH ME. I SUPPOSE BECAUSE I DIDN'T FLY DIRECTLY INTO IT CAME FROM BELOW AND IMMEDIATELY I WAS IMC AND BUILDING ICE VERY RAPIDLY. FULL PWR AND A CLB ATTITUDE WAS PRODUCING 1200 FPM DSCNT, SO I PUT THE RADIOS ON 121.5 AND THE ONLY RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS AN ACR PLT. HE SAID HE WOULD GET ME SOME HELP. I THEN WAS TURNED OVER TO SLC APCH, WHICH WAS NO HELP WHATSOEVER. I SAID PAN PAN, WHICH DIDN'T EXCITE THEM AT ALL. HE TOLD ME TO STAND BY. THEN HE WENT ABOUT HIS NORMAL BUSINESS. I THEN, VERY PANIC STRICKEN, ASKED FOR VECTORS AWAY FROM THE TERRAIN. I BELIEVE IT WAS ANOTHER STANDBY, THEN HE TOLD ME I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE LGU VOR. I TOLD HIM NEGATIVE, I WAS 7.8 MI OUT FROM THIS POINT. I BELIEVE HE WENT BACK TO HIS ROUTINE. I SHOULD HAVE SAID MAYDAY I GUESS AND SQUAWKED 7700, BUT I WAS JUST TOO BUSY TRYING TO FLY THE PLANE. I BROKE OUT AND THEN FLEW A VISUAL TO THE ARPT. A LOT WENT WRONG THAT DAY, POOR JUDGEMENT, FAULTY EQUIP, POOR CTLR-TO-PLT COM.

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.