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.

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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.