An ELT can be activated in a number of ways, but most involve an impact of some kind; that's what they are designed to do - to automatically activate in the event of an 'impact incident'. They can also be activated manually. One way they may be activated is during a rough landing during touch-and-go practice, for instance. If you bounce a landing that made you look out to make sure that the landing gear was still in place, you might have activated the ELT also. |
You can determine if your ELT (or one nearby) has been activated by monitoring 121.5 on your com radio. If there is an activated ELT nearby, you should hear a 'WHOOP, WHOOP' sound in your headset. |
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