ELT Replacement schedule

saracelica

saracelica

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saracelica
Anyone know what the replacement schedule is for the ELT battery? Yeah it's in the FAR/AIM book but it's a BIG book :)
 
You can find it in this section


Sec. 91.207

Emergency locator transmitters.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, no person may operate a U.S.-registered civil airplane unless--
(1) There is attached to the airplane an approved automatic type emergency locator transmitter that is in operable condition for the following operations, except that after June 21, 1995, an emergency locator transmitter that meets the requirements of TSO-C91 may not be used for new installations:
(i) Those operations governed by the supplemental air carrier and commercial operator rules of parts 121 and 125;
(ii) Charter flights governed by the domestic and flag air carrier rules of part 121 of this chapter; and
(iii) Operations governed by part 135 of this chapter; or
(2) For operations other than those specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, there must be attached to the airplane an approved personal type or an approved automatic type emergency locator transmitter that is in operable condition, except that after June 21, 1995, an emergency locator transmitter that meets the requirements of TSO-C91 may not be used for new installations.
(b) Each emergency locator transmitter required by paragraph (a) of this section must be attached to the airplane in such a manner that the probability of damage to the transmitter in the event of crash impact is minimized. Fixed and deployable automatic type transmitters must be attached to the airplane as far aft as practicable.
(c) Batteries used in the emergency locator transmitters required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section must be replaced (or recharged, if the batteries are rechargeable)--
(1) When the transmitter has been in use for more than 1 cumulative hour; or
(2) When 50 percent of their useful life (or, for rechargeable batteries, 50 percent of their useful life of charge) has expired, as established by the transmitter manufacturer under its approval.
The new expiration date for replacing (or recharging) the battery must be legibly marked on the outside of the transmitter and entered in the aircraft maintenance record. Paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not apply to batteries (such as water-activated batteries) that are essentially unaffected during probable storage intervals.
(d) Each emergency locator transmitter required by paragraph (a) of this section must be inspected within 12 calendar months after the last inspection for--
(1) Proper installation;
(2) Battery corrosion;
(3) Operation of the controls and crash sensor; and
(4) The presence of a sufficient signal radiated from its antenna.
(e) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, a person may--
(1) Ferry a newly acquired airplane from the place where possession of it was taken to a place where the emergency locator transmitter is to be installed; and
(2) Ferry an airplane with an inoperative emergency locator transmitter from a place where repairs or replacements cannot be made to a place where they can be made.
No person other than required crewmembers may be carried aboard an airplane being ferried under paragraph (e) of this section.
(f) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to--
[ (1) Before January 1, 2004, turbojet-powered aircraft; ]
(2) Aircraft while engaged in scheduled flights by scheduled air carriers;
(3) Aircraft while engaged in training operations conducted entirely within a 50-nautical mile radius of the airport from which such local flight operations began;
(4) Aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to design and testing;
(5) New aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to their manufacture, preparation, and delivery;
(6) Aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to the aerial application of chemicals and other substances for agricultural purposes;
(7) Aircraft certificated by the Administrator for research and development purposes;
(8) Aircraft while used for showing compliance with regulations, crew training, exhibition, air racing, or market surveys;
(9) Aircraft equipped to carry not more than one person; and
(10) An aircraft during any period for which the transmitter has been temporarily removed for inspection, repair, modification, or replacement, subject to the following:
(i) No person may operate the aircraft unless the aircraft records contain an entry which includes the date of initial removal, the make, model, serial number, and reason for removing the transmitter, and a placard located in view of the pilot to show "ELT not installed."
(ii) No person may operate the aircraft more than 90 days after the ELT is initially removed from the aircraft; and
[(11) On and after January 1, 2004, aircraft with a maximum payload capacity of more than 18,000 pounds when used in air transportation.]



Amdt. 91-265, Eff. 12/22/2000
 
Simple answer?

Every 24 month, or after 1 hour of use (or whenever you get rescued).

I keep an Excel spread sheet with all possible due dates. I just checked, my battery is due for replacement this June. This means I need to decide if I want to replace it with a 406 or just order a new battery in May.
 
Thanks Andrew. Husband is the (volunteer) maintenance guy for our club airplanes. He wasn't sure where it was in the FAR and asked ME! (the student pilot that is suppose to know the FAR backwards and forwards) He liked the regulation number. Much appreciated.
 
What type of ELT? Probably need to refer to the ICA for the elt in question as there are differences.
 
It should be in the aircraft log books and on the battery. Some ELT's use a D cell and the date should be based on the logbook entry.
 
The newer 406 MHz ELT's are running a 5-year battery in them, so I would check and see which style it is that you are working on.
 
John Collins said:
It should be in the aircraft log books and on the battery. Some ELT's use a D cell and the date should be based on the logbook entry.
Click to expand...

Mine uses the D cell batteries and I change them every year, whether they need it or not..:yesnod:
 
murphey said:
Simple answer?

Every 24 month, or after 1 hour of use (or whenever you get rescued).

I keep an Excel spread sheet with all possible due dates. I just checked, my battery is due for replacement this June. This means I need to decide if I want to replace it with a 406 or just order a new battery in May.
Click to expand...
24 months is not an FAA requirement. The FAA requires that the batteries be relplaced after half the shelf life has passed and the clock for that starts the day the battery is assembled. For reasons I don't understand (unless they are based on the profit motive) most manufacturers of 121.5 MHz ELTs spec'd a shelf life slightly more than 48 months even though the battery technology available for at least the last decade is considerably better than that.

The output power and duty cycle for 406 MHz ELTs pretty much eliminated the practicality of using alkaline dry cells (as used by most 121.5 ELTs) so they are generally powered by a lithium-ion primary battery which currently come with a 10 year shelf life and a 5 year mandatory replacement schedule.
 
murphey said:
Simple answer?

Every 24 month, or after 1 hour of use (or whenever you get rescued)..
Click to expand...


Not true for the "D" cell battery packs. Read the Manufacturers Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICAs) that comes with the ELTs.
 
Read the Manufacturers Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICAs) that comes with the ELTs.
Click to expand...

Hey I think that's right! In fact, some posted it; see post #6.

:D
 
I'm also late to the party but Thursday I did the battery replacement on an ELT, next due March 2018. So unless someone trips it it's good until then with just the 12month inspections required by 91.207d
 
gismo said:
24 months is not an FAA requirement.
Click to expand...
Correct.
The FAA requires that the batteries be relplaced after half the shelf life has passed and the clock for that starts the day the battery is assembled.
Click to expand...
The battery expiration date is established by the manufacturer, and that's a hard number written on the battery, so you don't have to think about it or do any dividing by two. The battery "expires" on that date no matter what else, and by regulation, the person who installs it must put that date in the aircraft's maintenance records as part of the installation entry, so you don't have to open up the airplane to find it. In addition, the FAA says that if you use the battery for over one hour (not likely if you don't crash, but if you do accidentally trigger it, it could be an issue), you must replace it. See 91.207(c) for details.

One issue that sometimes gets missed is when the battery expires before the next annual. More than one owner I've worked with has forgotten to take care of that. For that reason, many IA's I know will very strongly recommend changing the battery at annual if it will expire before the next annual. Yeah, it's not required, and it does cost a bit more to do it that way, but then you never have to worry about flying with an expired battery.
 
The new 406 ELTs have ICAs that pretty much superseded the 91.207 inspetion requirements and they have a 5 year battery replacement requirements.

Do not throw away the paperwork that comes with the new ELTs, it is the required inspection how to.

If you simply do the shake rattle and roll of the 121.5 types you will get some phone calls you won't like.
 
Hiyup, boils down to follow the damn directions, 121.5 gets 91.207d, 406 comes with the directions.
 
Tom-D said:
The new 406 ELTs have ICAs that pretty much superseded the 91.207 inspetion requirements and they have a 5 year battery replacement requirements.

Do not throw away the paperwork that comes with the new ELTs, it is the required inspection how to.

If you simply do the shake rattle and roll of the 121.5 types you will get some phone calls you won't like.
Click to expand...


If you simply do the shake rattle and roll of the 121.5 types you will get some phone calls you won't like.

:dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno:
 
Skylane81E said:
You trip it it goes strait to starsat...
Click to expand...
Oh.. I thought they were threatening us with the fact sats would no longer monitor 121.5 and we all needed to go right out and buy a 406 unit... So, are sats still listening for 121.5 ?
 
N801BH said:
If you simply do the shake rattle and roll of the 121.5 types you will get some phone calls you won't like.

:dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno:
Click to expand...

If you do the shake on a 406, was the intent of the message. That is not how they are tested.


WE were talking about 406s right?
 
N801BH said:
Oh.. I thought they were threatening us with the fact sats would no longer monitor 121.5 and we all needed to go right out and buy a 406 unit... So, are sats still listening for 121.5 ?
Click to expand...

No sat is listening to the 121.5 ELTs any more just the folks that are flying around with a radio set at 121.5 / 243 they are the only ones who will hear ya.
 
Tom-D said:
No sat is listening to the 121.5 ELTs any more just the folks that are flying around with a radio set at 121.5 / 243 they are the only ones who will hear ya.
Click to expand...
But there sure are a lot of us doing that, including pretty much all airliners. If you doubt that, just accidentally make your CTAF call on 121.5.
 
Ron Levy said:
But there sure are a lot of us doing that, including pretty much all airliners. If you doubt that, just accidentally make your CTAF call on 121.5.
Click to expand...

True, but the question was about the satellite listening.

and no they aren't.

And neither do a lot of pilots that only have 1 radio.
 
Last edited:
Ron Levy said:
Correct.
The battery expiration date is established by the manufacturer, and that's a hard number written on the battery, so you don't have to think about it or do any dividing by two. The battery "expires" on that date no matter what else, and by regulation, the person who installs it must put that date in the aircraft's maintenance records as part of the installation entry, so you don't have to open up the airplane to find it.
Click to expand...
There's one (121.5/243 MHz) ELT that uses OTS alkaline D cells and the replacement date is halfway to the "expiration date" on the batteries so for that one someone's gotta do that divide by two.
 
gismo said:
There's one (121.5/243 MHz) ELT that uses OTS alkaline D cells
Click to expand...

Do you know the brand name?

All the old 121.5/243 ELTs except the newer ACK and the Amer-King use their own batteries P/N and all have a 24 month date on the battery pack..

So, which would use the alkaline batteries?
 
Tom-D said:
Is that an ICA requirement?
Click to expand...

Nope. it is a Ben requirement, as cheap as good quality D cells are why not change them.. After all I have the unit out of the plane for the G test, what's another 2 minutes :dunno::dunno::idea:
 
Originally Posted by Let'sgoflying!
http://www.ameri-king.com/
ak-450 uses 'std D alkalines'
N801BH said:
Yup... That is the one I put in my plane.. I change the D cells every year..And this year the remote battery is due for a change too...
Click to expand...

That link leads to a 406 ELT which you claimed to have placed in your Aircraft.
 
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