121.5 question

scarcherpilot

scarcherpilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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scarcherpilot
I often fly X/C listening to 121.5 for the silence usually since most 122/123 frequencies on the weekends are just really congested. On guard I usually only hear ATC looking for someone from time to time due to a frequency handoff confusion.

On a recent trip, I turned to guard shortly after takeoff and I heard an ELT chirp. It was within the 5 min after the hour window and thought...someone is testing their ELT. It didn't stop however and went on for seemingly 45 minutes or so. I was at 6500 ft if that matters for range purposes. I began to wonder if it was my own ELT for some reason since the signal was strong and seemed like it went on for so long. It got annoying enough that I changed frequency thinking that if it is mine, there is nothing I can do about it at the moment and if it is some other plane, not sure what I could do. Eventually the ELT stopped as I would check back in to guard occasionally to see if I could still hear it. I have never heard that since that flight and checked my ELT when I got home and nothing amiss.

My question is this, if you hear an ELT on guard, it either means someone left theirs on, one triggered (bounced landing perhaps?) or someone really crashed. Just curious if any of you have experienced this and if you heard one going on for that long, what would or should you do? Again, it doesnt appear to be mine based on my check of the system at home.
 
I’ve gotten better about listening to guard, and hear ELTs going off all the time. The first time was like yours - where I thought I might be hearing my own ELT it was so loud. But eventually that one started to fade out indicating I was getting farther and farther away, and this is typical.

I usually report them to ATC. It’s pretty surprising how many times they can’t hear them (for instance, I heard one going off at an airport probably due to a wind event, and tower - at that airport - couldn’t hear it). My understanding is the vast majority are false alarms.
 
You can report it to ATC or FSS. They will want to know your position when you first heard the ELT and when you stopped hearing it. The ELT police can then try to find it and let the owner know that he bumped the switch.

You can also just tune FSS instead of Guard. It’s quieter and nobody meows.

I heard one as I was leaving Airventure this year. A golf cart with direction finding equipment was driving around when I was packing up to leave, and I figured that the two were related.
 
I've heard ELTs and I've been asked by ATC if I could tune up 121.5 and listen for one on one occasion.

I've got a remote panel for my ancient 121/243 ELT so I can tell if mine is going off. I've also used my amateur radio DF experience to find one on the field (take the antenna off your handheld and use your body as a shield).

As pointed out, if you hear one that goes on for more than a few seconds, you can report it to ATC or Flight Circus.
 
First, monitoring 121.5 (or UHF 243.0) is not only a good practice, but an FDC NOTAM requires it “if capable”.


ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN UNITED STATES NATIONAL AIRSPACE, IF CAPABLE, SHALL MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON VHF GUARD 121.5 OR UHF 243.0.

Second, imagine yourself injured and trapped in your plane after a crash. I bet you’d hope that someone was listening on 121.5 and reporting it. Seems only right to do it yourself and report ELT’s to Flight Service if you hear one.

Third, don’t almost all ELT’s get installed with a remote, for just this reason? My Sky Arrow didn’t, and when I converted to E-LSA the designee pointed out my installation manual required one, and insisted I install one.

32890470037_9576c1ba89.jpg
 
The requirement for the remote came with the later version of the TSO which was required for later installations. Of course, you can't even put in non-406 unit at all these days.

The AK-450 is probably the worst ELT ever made. Cheap Asian knockoff of the ACK unit.
 
Had a hangar tenant who had his go off for no reason for 6 months. The cheap ass had to get like 10 calls before he finally determined he had to fix it.

I wish the FCC would outlaw all the 121.5 units and the FAA make it optional for a 406.
 
Even a 406 transmits on 121.5 when it goes off.

report it to ATC. Especially if you’re low, that will help narrow it down. When they get a couple of calls, they will refer it to the Air Force rescue coordination center.
 
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bflynn said:
Even a 406 transmits on 121.5 when it goes off.

report it to ATC. Especially if you’re low, that will help narrow it down. When they get a couple of calls, they will refer it to the Air Force rescue coordination center.
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Who will then call the local CAP squadron to send out the cadets for an afternoon activity.
 
The AFRCC calls CAP. They make the decision based on the information they have. For example, if it's a 406 ELT with good location information, the aircraft has already been located, so they will jump to local emergency teams for recovery.
 
I always reported any ELT that I heard for more than about 30 seconds. So far of the 6 or 8 I have heard, all were false alarms. Including the one time it was my ELT going off. Fortunately, I saw the little red light flashing and I turned it off, then re-armed it.

I didn't know how long it had been sounding off. I am fairly sure my last landing did not set it off...:lol:
 
scarcherpilot said:
Just curious if any of you have experienced this and if you heard one going on for that long, what would or should you do?
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I'd do the same thing I'd do in any other circumstance I heard someone calling out for help; I'd help if I could and call the appropriate authorities if I couldn't. An ELT is a cry for help. Sure, it could be a false alarm like any other cry for help. But I don't understand ignoring it.
 
I, for the life of me, can no longer find the link. But, there was a story going around a few years ago about an airport restaurant that acquired a non-flying aircraft to hang as a static display. Shortly after it was installed a weak elt beacon was heard on 121.5. The CAP and FAA spent some time searching for it and finally located it in the aircraft hanging from the ceiling in the restaurant.
 
I've heard stories like that. There was one in NC about 10 years ago where a PLB (also on 121.5) went off. The crew chased it for hours only to realize that it was on a boat being towed back home.

Then there was the cadet that laid a practice beacon against a metal high transmission tower....
 
wilkersk said:
I, for the life of me, can no longer find the link. But, there was a story going around a few years ago about an airport restaurant that acquired a non-flying aircraft to hang as a static display. Shortly after it was installed a weak elt beacon was heard on 121.5. The CAP and FAA spent some time searching for it and finally located it in the aircraft hanging from the ceiling in the restaurant.
Click to expand...
https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/...d-pub-then-the-air-force-came-looking-for-it/

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-...nd-the-military-plane-inside-vagabond-brewing

Anyone headed to KPDX any time soon?
 
FastEddieB said:
First, monitoring 121.5 (or UHF 243.0) is not only a good practice, but an FDC NOTAM requires it “if capable”.


ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN UNITED STATES NATIONAL AIRSPACE, IF CAPABLE, SHALL MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON VHF GUARD 121.5 OR UHF 243.0.

Second, imagine yourself injured and trapped in your plane after a crash. I bet you’d hope that someone was listening on 121.5 and reporting it. Seems only right to do it yourself and report ELT’s to Flight Service if you hear one.

Third, don’t almost all ELT’s get installed with a remote, for just this reason? My Sky Arrow didn’t, and when I converted to E-LSA the designee pointed out my installation manual required one, and insisted I install one.

32890470037_9576c1ba89.jpg
Click to expand...

My plane which is an ancient 1966 Cessna doesnt have a remote switch for the old ELT. This was my first time hearing an ELT chirp so I honestly didnt know what to do or who to tell. Next time will let ATC/FSS know for sure.

Lindberg said:
I'd do the same thing I'd do in any other circumstance I heard someone calling out for help; I'd help if I could and call the appropriate authorities if I couldn't. An ELT is a cry for help. Sure, it could be a false alarm like any other cry for help. But I don't understand ignoring it.
Click to expand...

Yep, I wanted to help, just wasnt sure what to do since I never experienced this before. I kind of kept expecting someone else, perhaps an airliner, to hear and report it, but since no one was saying anything on guard, it made me paranoid it was my own ELT.
 
The CAP pratice things should be up on 121.755
 
I reported one to ATC when over Indonesia. They didn't seem to have any idea what I was talking about.
 
On a XC flight while on FF there was one going off for quite a while...between me and a few other planes in the area with the controller we were able to determine based on signal strength and our positions while moving that it was coming from an actual airport and most likely someone that forgot to turn off or was in a fault.

Was kinda cool to see how that could work in pinpointing an actual location.
 
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