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The ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) is usually installed in the tail section of small general aviation aircraft. It is designed to trigger automatically when subjected to an hard jolt, as would happen in the event of an emergency off-field landing in rough terrain, for instance. They can also be activated manually, if need be. They transmit a signal on 121.5 MHz which is monitored by ATC and most airliners and military aircraft. Search-and-Rescue teams are able to home in on the signal which allows them to find the aircraft more quickly. |
If you are out practicing landings and you happen to bounce one or two (happens to all of us!), you can determine if the ELT has been triggered by tuning your communication radio to 121.5 MHz and listen for the distinctive 'whoop-whoop' ELT tone. You can access your ELT and switch it off, then listen again to make sure that it was your ELT that was causing the tone to be heard. Make sure it is again set to trigger automatically when you are finished. |
One important consideration for owners of aircraft with older ELTs: on February 1, 2009, satellite monitoring and alerting of the 121.5 distress signal will be discontinued. Only ELTs capable of transmitting a distress signal on 406.0 MHz will have that signal relayed by satellite, which could result in longer search-and-rescue times. |
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