C172 PLT GETS LOST WHEN PREFLT EQUIP CHKS WERE NOT COMPLETED. LNDG AT AN ARPT 90 DEGS FROM AND 1/2 HR BEYOND THE INTENDED ARPT.

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I DEPARTED FROM LNS ARPT ON MY WAY TO MTN. WHILE CRUISING AT 115 KTS AT 3000 FT; I MADE MY FIRST CALL (AFTER LEAVING CLASS D AIRSPACE INS) TO THE FSS TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN. ONCE I WAS DONE WITH THAT I CONTINUED FLYING THE PLANE; DOING THE PILOTAGE AND DEADRECKONING UNTIL I PASSED MY FIRST CHKPOINT. I GOT MY FREQ READY TO CALL BALTIMORE APCH. THAT FREQ WAS GIVEN TO ME WHEN I CALLED (ON GND) TO FILE MY FLT PLAN. I NEEDED TO CONTACT APCH TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING AND/OR RADAR VECTORS TO INTXN B; WHICH WAS THE POINT IN WHICH PLTS COMING FROM THE N AREAS WERE SUPPOSED TO RPT AND GET CLRNC TO ENTER TO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO OR CAPABLE OF FLYING TO THIS POINT. THAT'S WHY I NEEDED RADAR VECTORS. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT TO VIOLATE OR CROSS OVER THE RESTR AREA WITHOUT PERMISSION. I ESTIMATED MY TIME ENRTE ABOUT 35 MINS TO MTN. I MADE MY CALL; BUT DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER. I KEPT FLYING MY HDG; WHICH WAS AT THAT POINT 209 DEGS. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE; I CONTINUED MAKING MY CALLS TO ESTABLISH COM WITH BALTIMORE APCH. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES; BUT THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. I USED DIFFERENT FREQS; BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. I WENT BACK TO USE THE FREQS OF FSS; LANCASTER TWR; HARRISBURG APCH; CALLED THEM; AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED; THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO ME. AT THAT POINT; I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RADIOS. I KEPT TRYING TO FIND THE RIVER THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CROSS TO GUIDE MYSELF BACK TO MARTIN (THAT WAS MY LAST ALTERNATIVE). CHKING MY TIME; I NOTICED THAT ABOUT 30 MINS HAD ALREADY PASSED. I THOUGHT THAT IF I WAS FLYING A CORRECT COURSE; I WAS CLOSE TO THE ARPT. I DID MY INST CHK AND NOTICED THAT THE HDG INDICATOR (OR DIRECTIONAL GYRO) WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE COMPASS. IT WAS INDICATING MY COURSE +/- 210 DEGS; AND THE COMPASS INDICATED 120 DEGS. THAT'S WHEN I REALLY REALIZED I WAS COMPLETELY OFF OF MY COURSE; AND OF COURSE -- LOST! I DID ADJUST THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL I DID MY INST CHK AND FIGURED THAT OUT. I CLBED AND TRIED TO LOCATE THE CLOSEST ARPT TO LAND AND GET HELP. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS; EVEN IF I TRIED TO COMPARE MY CHART WITH THE WHITE SNOW; WHICH COVERED THAT LAND SURFACE. THIS WAS AN AREA I DID NOT VISIT BEFORE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT. WHILE FLYING IN CIRCLES; I SPOTTED A BIG ARPT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY ARPT FOR A MOMENT; BUT I FIGURED IT WASN'T; BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THE CHESAPEAKE AND EASTERN SHORE. I GOT MYSELF READY FOR LNDG AND SQUAWKED 7600; BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW WHO TO CALL AT THAT ARPT; AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO COM (SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RADIOS). I WAS ABOUT 500 FT FINAL WHEN I VIEWED THE AREA AND NOTICED A COUPLE OF MIL ACFT AND TOLD MYSELF 'I THINK THIS IS A MIL ARPT.' I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING AROUND; BUT WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO GO FOR HELP? IT WAS AROUND XA45 WHEN I LANDED. IT WAS GETTING DARK AND THE WX WAS FORECASTED TO BE BAD. ONCE I GOT OFF THE PLANE; I TOLD THE OFFICERS THAT I WAS LOST. THEN THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN PHILADELPHIA AT THE 'WILLOW GROVE NAVAL AIR STATION.' HOW I GOT THERE? I GUESS WITH MORE EXPERIENCE I WILL KNOW BETTER HOW TO SOLVE A SIT LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I GOT SO FAR LIKE THAT. MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO FAILURE GAVE ME AN OFF COURSE DEV OF ABOUT 90 DEGS TO THE E FROM MY ORIGINAL COURSE; AND IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO COMPENSATE. WHAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS TO LAND AND GET HELP.