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Monitor 121.5


Raptor05121

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A few months ago we had a Cessna 170 crash on takeoff at a local breakfast gathering in Williston, FL. It was a massive turnout but no one noticed the plane off in the treeline adjacent to the runway. A family of four perished and the wreck wasn't discovered until the next day when a passing airliner relayed to Jax center that they were receiving an ELT activation.

I was flying that day, only a few miles from said airport. I normally monitor 121.5 but didn't that day. I remember looking at my COM2 and thinking I should dial it in. If I had, I would've most likely heard their ELT going off. Since that, I've *always* monitored 121.5

The day before yesterday, I flew a Cherokee down to Leesburg to pick up a part for my plane. On the way back, I kept hearing a "BLIP!" every so often. I realized it was COM2, and I turned to my friend and told him I think its an ELT. A few minutes goes by, and we keep hearing a "BLIP!" for hald a second before it fades off. A few more minutes, and the tell-tale "DEWWW-DEWWW-DEWWW" goes off before it cuts out again. I instantly recognized it as an ELT. I dialed up JAX center and advised them of my location and direction. They acknowledged and continued handling out traffic calls to airliners I also called a local towered field, they weren't receiving anything. 

Jax never asked for any further info. I thought they might had wanted me to start tracking and see if I could find direction, but they seemed non-chalant about it. I don't know who/what/where the details of the ELT were, I hope it was a false activation. But everyone should monitor 121.5. You just might be hearing mine go off one day.

(I'm now looking at 406 ELTs).

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I have heard ELTs before once while on another frequency turns out I was over a tug boat and his EPERB was going off.:o  When I reported it to the tower they were nonchalant about it as well.

I have been asked by ATC to listen to 121.5 for an ELT and report back which I did there was one going off.  I monitored it for a while and let ATC know when the signal faded away.

The problem with monitoring 121.5 is it seems that on my radio it opens the squelch and I get a lot of background noise.  Therefore, I will tune in occasionally during a flight.

 

I was told many years ago that you should tune into 121.5 just before shutdown and if you hear an ELT and you had a hard landing it just might be you.:D

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C

2 hours ago, Raptor05121 said:


Jax never asked for any further info. I thought they might had wanted me to start tracking and see if I could find direction, but they seemed non-chalant about it. I don't know who/what/where the details of the ELT were, I hope it was a false activation. But everyone should monitor 121.5. You just might be hearing mine go off one day.

Hopefully JAX was working it behind the scene and had a handle on it and not blowing it off

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17 minutes ago, 1964-M20E said:

 

 

I was told many years ago that you should tune into 121.5 just before shutdown and if you hear an ELT and you had a hard landing it just might be you.:D

10 years ago a friend of mine set his off with a hard landing. I suspect he will never live that one down:)  He claims it was a bumpy runway.

I have found when testing my elts at annual the comm radios pick it up on any frequency. I suspect this has something to do being so close to the transmitter? 

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I've reported signals a couple of times to ATC, and had reasonable responses.  In one case, Approach told me they had numerous reports and were checking hangars at a nearby airport.

I also once receive a call for me on 121.5.  Memphis Center had missed giving me a handoff, I was out of range, and they were calling to give me Nashville approach freq.  So if you monitor 121.5 you might receive a call for you.  Hopefully not from that interceptor over Camp David!

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14 minutes ago, steingar said:

I always monitor guard.  I should invest in one of the more modern ELT's, I question the efficacy of those that just broadcast on guard.

5 years ago the govt monitored the frequency and even gave us satellite approximate positions when one would go off. We'd to up in the CAP 182 and track it down with a Beckers which will pin point it to about a 5 foot radius when used by a skilled crew. But today the Feds only monitor 121.5 at ground stations meaning they only pick it up airborne. 406 is still satellite monitored and will get a quick response. It also broadcast 121.5 (which is what we actually usually triangulate on most of the time since 406 is intermittent and 121.5 is continuous). If your 406 is hooked to a gps source then they just send a ground team or often just call the local sheriff. 

Without fancy equipment you can approximate the distance of the signal but how much it bleeds into other frequencies as Dan noted  Ground teams use a funny looking device called l-pers) and once we tracked to a set of hangers we'd walk hanger to hanger to locate it  

Aside from aircraft the most common place we'd find them is in dumpsters. Strangest place was in a trunk from a guy who bought a box of junk. When we showed up at the house the wife handed it to us and insisted we take it (we only usuallly deactivate it)   

-Robert 

Edited by RobertGary1
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I almost always listen to 121.5.  I've reported numerous ELT's.  ATC usually asks others in the area if they hear it.  I think they try to find the where the signal fades.  Connect the dots on all those points and it draws a circle around the most likely point.  Gives them a starting point for where to look.

I've also heard numerous calls on 121.5 trying to contact an aircraft that has flown out of radio coverage so they can give them the correct new frequency.  Made a few of those calls myself to relay an ATC request.

And I've actually heard a couple mayday calls on 121.5.  One was a lost solo student pilot.  We got him in contact with ATC and figured out where he was.

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Monitoring Guard has a lot of benefits for your fellow aviators, and I recommend it myself.  At the very least, you might help Center get back in touch with one of the big iron crews who weren't paying attention and wound up out of range and sector...  :P

As for ELT activations, many moons ago I was a CAP member... the few active signals we got called out for were ELTs going off on a shop bench or in a garage.  Sadly, this means the few legit signals tend to get looked at with a lessened sense of urgency.  

 

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It always amazes me how many people will blow the wad of cash on LED everything's, yet won't buy a 406 ELT which might save their life.
Clarence

Along those same lines, I am surprised the lack response on this thread that the down airplane not being found for so long would have simply been avoided had the pilot/owner had a 406 ELT installed! Don't get me wrong the discussion on monitoring 121.5 is all very good and it's intentions are very positive. But the take home lesson here in my mind is we all need to installing 406 ELT. Sure they don't always survive the crash, these 4 souls may not, but surely if anyone was unconscious or too injured to call, the 406 would have instantly alerted the SAR folks to check it out and just maybe someone would have survived.
The other thing we can do these days to ensure someone starts looking for us sooner is to use the available capability to activate your VFR flight plan with a single click on your smart phone. The main EFB app providers have integrated this capability into their apps making it even easier.
Yet going down and not being found or missed till the next day continues to happen. In another thread we discussed the Cessna going down at Big Bear - that wasn't found till the next day either and it was also right by the airport yet hidden by trees.
Sure, monitoring 121.5 helps, but being proactive and installing a 406 and activating a VFR flight plan when appropriate are going to help us much much more. No guarantees much it could sure make a difference.



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2 hours ago, kortopates said:


Along those same lines, I am surprised the lack response on this thread that the down airplane not being found for so long would have simply been avoided had the pilot/owner had a 406 ELT installed! Don't get me wrong the discussion on monitoring 121.5 is all very good and it's intentions are very positive. But the take home lesson here in my mind is we all need to installing 406 ELT. Sure they don't always survive the crash, these 4 souls may not, but surely if anyone was unconscious or too injured to call, the 406 would have instantly alerted the SAR folks to check it out and just maybe someone would have survived.
The other thing we can do these days to ensure someone starts looking for us sooner is to use the available capability to activate your VFR flight plan with a single click on your smart phone. The main EFB app providers have integrated this capability into their apps making it even easier.
Yet going down and not being found or missed till the next day continues to happen. In another thread we discussed the Cessna going down at Big Bear - that wasn't found till the next day either and it was also right by the airport yet hidden by trees.
Sure, monitoring 121.5 helps, but being proactive and installing a 406 and activating a VFR flight plan when appropriate are going to help us much much more. No guarantees much it could sure make a difference.



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In Canada a flight plan is opened at the time you've filed unless you call to cancel it or amend the departure time.  The search would have started sooner.

Also ELT's are recertified annually by an avionics shop, not a maintainer who gives it a smack and listens on the radio 10 feet away.

Clarence

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3 hours ago, kortopates said:


Along those same lines, I am surprised the lack response on this thread that the down airplane not being found for so long would have simply been avoided had the pilot/owner had a 406 ELT installed! Don't get me wrong the discussion on monitoring 121.5 is all very good and it's intentions are very positive. But the take home lesson here in my mind is we all need to installing 406 ELT. Sure they don't always survive the crash, these 4 souls may not, but surely if anyone was unconscious or too injured to call, the 406 would have instantly alerted the SAR folks to check it out and just maybe someone would have survived.
The other thing we can do these days to ensure someone starts looking for us sooner is to use the available capability to activate your VFR flight plan with a single click on your smart phone. The main EFB app providers have integrated this capability into their apps making it even easier.
Yet going down and not being found or missed till the next day continues to happen. In another thread we discussed the Cessna going down at Big Bear - that wasn't found till the next day either and it was also right by the airport yet hidden by trees.
Sure, monitoring 121.5 helps, but being proactive and installing a 406 and activating a VFR flight plan when appropriate are going to help us much much more. No guarantees much it could sure make a difference.



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How do you activate on your phone? I can file and close but never found a way to activate without talking to fss 

-Robert 

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12 minutes ago, RobertGary1 said:

How do you activate on your phone? I can file and close but never found a way to activate without talking to fss 

-Robert 

Flight Service has been providing this for some time and its now integrated into both Garmin Pilot and Foreflight. Those that are not GP nor FF users need to register with Leidos on their website https://www.1800wxbrief.com/. Then when ever you file a VFR flight plan through them, they will send you an email or text (your choice) to both activate and close your flightplan. If you file your flight plan through GP or FF, they implement that functionality for you. In these apps you'll see a link on the same page you filed the flight plan, first to activate (or modify) and then to Close. Couldn't be easier and eliminates the need to change frequency, get them on the radio to open or call them after words. And for me, since I fly VFR so seldom, I really appreciate the email or text to close as a reminder I need to do that rather than get that very embarrassing phone call from them when I am over due - cause I forgot! Check it out, you'll love it regardless of which implementation you use. All you need is data access on your phone or iPad and these days that's not much of problem - even in Mexico depending on your carrier.

Edited by kortopates
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At work we always monitor 121.5 and 234.0 In my own plane I monitor 121.5 on comm/nav 2 unless I am getting ATIS or still on approach and need to monitor/transmit on UNICOM going into a non-towered field.

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I’ll confess to usually not monitoring 121.5. I’ve heard a few serious situations, screaming for a bird to go around or wave off, people looking for lost aircraft, but they’ve been few and far between. It’s been clogged other times with people having whole conversations, guard police yelling at them, airliners, people on the wrong frequency, etc. once it became a distraction I started tuning out. Some days it’s as bad as trying to fly up and down the east coast on a Saturday with smooth air and hoping for peace and quiet on 122.8

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On 8/25/2017 at 4:59 PM, kortopates said:


Along those same lines, I am surprised the lack response on this thread that the down airplane not being found for so long would have simply been avoided had the pilot/owner had a 406 ELT installed!

King's entry 406 was just de-certified by the FAA. Aircraft spruce is dumping them in Canada now. 

"NO LONGER FAA APPROVED - THIS MODEL IS PROGRAMMED FOR CANADA"

http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/ameriKingpackages.php?recfer=40021199

 

That really only leaves the ACK in the budget ($500ish) market. But its regular scheduled

battery replacement will set you back $160.  I can't help but believe these units would be $29.95 if used in cars.

 

-Robert

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