My ELT activated in-flight causing panic to family and friends

[MS19087]

Dave and Al helped calm the situation with family and friends through their efforts of looking for my track on APRS and FlightAware - Dinner on me next week! Happy now David?

[DonFromTX]

[quote= This was without any GPS input. The GPS input, by the way, narrows the circle from about 300 yards without GPS to 10 yards with GPS. Hardly worth it considering the 121.5 circle is 20 miles..[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that info. I had wondered why for some reason, Vans elects to NOT use the GPS input on the RV12 ELT, this explains it and reduces my concerns. I would hope the flames from my crash could be seen from 300 yards anyway

[DonFromTX]

Just another reason that my choice to add an APRS to my experimental was a good choice.

Originally Posted by MS19087

Dave and Al helped calm the situation with family and friends through their efforts of looking for my track on APRS and FlightAware - Dinner on me next week! Happy now David?

[gorbak]

Loose wires, low batteries and jarring events can all have an impact on an ELT to set it off. Monitoring 121.5 before and after each flight is advisable. If you are on a long leg then please by all means "listen" in on 121.5
I have been in Civil Air Patrol going on 8 years and qualified in Urban Directional Finder (UDF) as well as aircraft based positions within the air crew. Electronic signal equipment on the ground and in the air can and do give false readings. I have seen incredible events including signals bouncing off of metal buildings (hanger) to locations over 10 miles away from the ELT. Heavy ore based ground, like what is found in Missouri and Arkansas can displace a signal. We were called out one night for a signal picked up by satellite and reported to Air Force Coordination Center (AFCC) to begin a search in Springfield, MO. We dispatched a team to the local airport (high probablility) as it was within a 5 mile radius of the signal picked up on the first pass of the sattelite. No signal detected by our handheld device at the airport. Second satellite pass showed continuous signal. Second team sent out to triangulate on the ground. We ended up having the local law enforcement contact the manager of Bass Pro (in the wee hours of the morning) to open the store up so we could locate the PLB, still in the showcase, where a curious customer apparently (and accidentally) activated the device.
Also, CAP members are not allowed to enter your aircraft to shut off the ELT if it accidentally activates. CAP will locate the ELT and the owner will be contacted to come out for a visit to deactivate. There are no fines levied or cost for CAP to locate ELT signals. If the owner cannot be located, CAP may wrap aluminum foil around your ELT antenna to mute the signal.
Personally, I agree with others on this site that a PLB wore on your clothing is a good idea as a secondary device to the plane ELT.

Pat Garboden
RV9A N942PT Phase I
Katy, TX

Dues paid

[Dave12]

Originally Posted by MS19087

Dave and Al helped calm the situation with family and friends through their efforts of looking for my track on APRS and FlightAware - Dinner on me next week! Happy now David?

More evidence that everything comes with a cost attached when these two are involved! (fkkas).

Very glad for this outcome!

[Ron Lee]

Originally Posted by novipilot

They located it on a shelf in a maintenance shop in about 10 minutes. This was without any GPS input. The GPS input, by the way, narrows the circle from about 300 yards without GPS to 10 yards with GPS. Hardly worth it considering the 121.5 circle is 20 miles.

Imagine being is a heavily forested area and you are not able to help in your rescue/alerting of rescue assets.

Would you rather that they know your location to 10 meter radius or 300 meter radius?

If you are going to install a 406 MHz unit, get one with integrated GPS.

Personally, I carry a GPS integrated 406 MHz PLB.

I have no expectation that my ELT will work.

[Canadian_JOY]

Let's see if we can get some helpful info written down here for the reading pleasure of this august group.

- 406 ELT's are required to have an audio alerter
This audio alerter normally takes the form of either an external buzzer mounted in close proximity to the ELT or a buzzer contained within the ELT itself. The audio alerter must be stand-alone, therefore it does not have a connection to the aircraft audio system. I have not yet encountered one of these audio alerters that was loud enough to be heard any time the engine is running. Most aren't loud enough to be heard inside the aircraft if you are wearing your headset.
HINT - 406MHz ELT's broadcast on 121.5MHz continuously, save for a less-than-one-second interruption every 50 seconds when the 406MHz signal is being transmitted (in most ELT's). TUNE 121.5 WHENEVER YOU CAN. At a minimum, make 121.5 part of your post-landing check to make sure that last "greaser" landing didn't set off your ELT.

- with only one exception I know of, 406 ELT's are required to have a cockpit control panel with a visible means of indicating the ELT has been activated
While there is a requirement for there to be a visible annunciation of ELT activation, the TSO doesn't contain a meaningful specification as to how visible that annunciator should be, nor is there anything other than vague guidance as to where this remote control panel/indicator should be mounted in the cockpit. Most remote control panels use red LEDs as their indicators, and virtually none of those red LEDs are visible in sunlight - it doesn't take much light to wash them out. It is absolutely reasonable to expect that an ELT could be transmitting without its remote control panel indicator summoning the attention of the pilot while in flight.
HINT - tune 121.5 to check whether the ELT is transmitting!

- many 406MHz ELT's can receive position info from a GPS
GPS can be your helper in being rescued, but keep in mind that GPS also sometimes provides incorrect position, and if your GPS antenna is pointing downward because the airplane has flipped on impact, you're not going to get a valid GPS position. ELT's with a built-in GPS receiver will only have that receiver activate after the ELT is activated. We know it takes time for a GPS receiver to get a position "fix", so the first 406MHz burst transmitted by your ELT likely won't have GPS data - if the airplane is on fire or sinking in water, GPS data may not be transmitted before ELT signals cease to be transmitted. While there is often a large cost penalty for ELT's which interface to the existing aircraft GPS system, they have the advantage of having access to the last known GPS fix and broadcast it in the first 406MHz burst. It's something to think about... The benefit of GPS position data contained in transmitted 406 signals is clear, but let's be sure we also understand its limitations - it's not a panacea but it is one way we can help stack the odds in our favour.

- 406MHz ELT's are supposed to have a lower false-activation rate
While most 406 ELT's have benefitted greatly from advances in G-switch design over the years, some have not. One manufacturer, Artex, has had sufficient G-switch failures that Australia has issued an Airworthiness Directive covering a range of Artex 406MHz ELT's. G-switch failure can lead to uncommanded activation. It happens - be prepared.
HINT - Tune 121.5 to verify your ELT (and anybody else's) isn't transmitting.
HINT - If your ELT has gone off without you being able to confirm why it activated, get it into an appropriately-qualified avionics shop and get it checked out!

- all ELT's have a finite battery life
After intentional or unintentional activation of ANY ELT, the remaining battery life is a critical consideration. 406MHz ELT's are required to record total "on" time and set a "low battery failure" code visible on the remote control panel. Use the self-test function to allow the ELT to tell you whether or not it's battery is safe for continued use. While the lithium batteries for 406MHz ELT's are fairly expensive. If in doubt, don't take a chance - replace the battery, because your life may depend on it.
HINT: Your 406MHz ELT has a built-in test (BIT) function. USE IT!

Another poster has mentioned that he carries a 406MHz PLB. While in many jurisdictions a PLB is not a legal replacement for an ELT, PLB's make a heck of a good backup to your aircraft's ELT's. We fly with two magnetos, a backup means of determining aircraft attitude, a second electrical system, etc. Why not a second emergency locating device? It just makes good sense to do all we can reasonably do to improve our odds of being rescued should an emergency arise.

OK, I'll get off the ole' soap box now. Let's fly safely!

[Walt]

I'd also like to add that even with a "standard" 121.5 ELT, you should test it periodically using the remote switch. I have found numerous installations where the remote did not work or never worked (wired with phone cord or bad wiring), remote batteries that were dead (no indication of ELT activation) and on a number of occasions, the ARM switch on the ELT was found in the OFF position