AERONCA PILOT EXPERIENCES COMPASS FAILURE AND AFTER GETTING LOST; LANDS AT AN AFB FOR FUEL AND DIRECTIONS.

Narrative

I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ1 WHERE I PICKED UP THE PLANE. AS I BOUGHT IT FROM A PLT WHO FLEW BY GPS TO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ3. I SPENT THE NIGHT AND LEFT THE NEXT MORNING HEADED FOR ZZZ2. MY COMPASS SEEMED CORRECT ACCORDING TO RWY HDGS. HOWEVER AFTER DEPARTING AND FLYING FOR 40 MINS; I COULD NOT FIND MY GND POINTS IN THE MOUNTAINS. I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE COMPASS. AS I CAME OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS I WAS VERY LOW ON GAS. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A LARGE TOWN; BUT AS I APCHED; I COULD SEE SEVERAL ARPTS. MY FUEL WAS INDICATING ALMOST EMPTY. I STUDIED THE TFC. ALL ARPTS WERE BUSY. I TRIED CALLING ON MY HANDHELD BUT FOUND IT NOT TO BE XMITTING. AFTER LOOKING FOR TFC I LANDED AT AN AFB. I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE END OF RWY AND ROLLED ABOUT 200 FT AND PULLED OFF INTO THE GRASS; GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND SEVERAL VEHICLES CAME TO ASSIST ME AND TO CHK FOR BOMBS; WEAPONS; ETC. OFFICIALS BROUGHT GAS VIA POLICE AND FILLED MY TANK. TALKED TO PEOPLE IN TWR. AS THEY REALIZED MY RADIO DID NOT WORK THEY ALLOWED ME TO FOLLOW A VEHICLE TO RWY WHERE I WAS CLRED TO LEAVE ON RWY 20 AND MAKE R-HAND DEP AT 2000 FT. I DID SO AND FLEW STRAIGHT TO ZZZ2. MY MECH SAYS A MAGNET VIBRATED LOOSE IN THE COMPASS AND CARRIED ME FURTHER AND FURTHER OFF COURSE. I WAS OVER CONGESTED AREAS; OUT OF GAS; LOST BECAUSE OF A FAILED COMPASS AND CHOSE TO LAND AT THE AFB BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TFC AND I SAW I COULD GET DOWN SAFE. I REALIZED I HAD NO REAL GOOD OPTIONS. I DID THE SAFEST THING I COULD. AFTER IDENTING ARPT; I KNEW I WAS IN D AIRSPACE. BY THIS POINT I HAD NO GOOD OPTIONS.