A reminder why you should always monitor 121.5

[RiverAux]

2 saves in CA off an ELT detected during a CAP o-ride that was followed by proper mission request procedures. 

Whats with the orange and red striping on a CAP plane though?  Just how old is that puppy?

http://www.capvolunteernow.com/news.cfm/calif_aerospace_orientation_flight_day_interrupted_by_search_mission_distress_find?show=news&newsID=8077

[Flying Pig]

Isnt that Hemet's plane?  Its one of the relics from the days when CAP planes didnt have a paint scheme.  Cool.  Paul Saba and I were cadets together and attended COBC back in the day.  Like 1990 ish.  Wow....is my math right?  20yrs ago?

[ßτε]

Yes, it is Hemet's plane.

[Major Lord]

So lets see if I understand this correctly. Our pilot hears an ELT on 121.5. He lands and calls Jon Wordsworth to initiate/authorize a mission. He is made the IC after approval. Mission launched. Questions: Upon hearing an ELT, did he look out the window to see if he could see a crash, like any pilot hearing a distress call might do? Did he tell anyone else that he heard an ELT, or just Jon? Did he see if he could get a bearing? Or would that be considered prosecuting the mission?

Major Lord

[RiverAux]

I think you could easily get a bearing without violating the letter or intent of our regulations but anything much beyond that gets iffy.  Sounds like everything was done the right way and with the best result possible.  An example to us all.

[Flying Pig]

Sounds to me like he did what he was supposed to.  The ELT signal could be coming from who knows here.  No Observer, No Scanner, just a plane full of cadets.  Land, get a crew, make notifications and get back up in the air.

[Eclipse]

Sounds to me like he did what he was supposed to.  The ELT signal could be coming from who knows here.  No Observer, No Scanner, just a plane full of cadets.  Land, get a crew, make notifications and get back up in the air.

I kind of agree - but why land first? There's a radio in that plane - could he not have notified the tower and asked that they
call the FAA or an IC?

[RiverAux]

Sounds to me like he did what he was supposed to.  The ELT signal could be coming from who knows here.  No Observer, No Scanner, just a plane full of cadets.  Land, get a crew, make notifications and get back up in the air.

I kind of agree - but why land first? There's a radio in that plane - could he not have notified the tower and asked that they
call the FAA or an IC?

Answer:

just a plane full of cadets.

[Eclipse]

A plane full of cadets does not make the radio stop working.

[SarDragon]

An airplane full of cadets places an additional burden on the pilot with respect to operating that radio.

[RiverAux]

A plane full of cadets does not make the radio stop working.

A plane full of cadets are most likely no qualified to perform ES aircrew duties....

[Major Lord]

Perhaps its just the phrasing of the article, but it sounds as if this guy bypassed the 911/tower/etc route and kept it within the CAP system to generate a mission and add more bling and flair to uniforms. Possibly with less regard for the implications of a sounding  ELT ( one or more citizens hanging upside down in the trees with fuel running down their necks, for instance) than for the care of human life. But maybe that's just the unintentional slant of the writer..... I would like to see the AA on that mission with timelines, etc. before jumping to conclusions.

Major Lord

[RiverAux]

Why in the world would you call 911 about a non-pinpointed ELT?  What the heck are they going to do about it other than to spend a few hours figuring out who to report it to.  I'd say that they took the action that would get potential help to folks the fastest way possible. 

And it didn't "stay within the CAP" system.  It apparently was reported to AFRCC whose job it is to decide what to do about these things. 

So, they followed a safe course -- report it through the chain of command.  Some Wings have instructions on how specifically situations like this should be handled, but most do not and CAP has no national guidance on this issue that I'm aware of. 

[davidsinn]

Why in the world would you call 911 about a non-pinpointed ELT?  What the heck are they going to do about it other than to spend a few hours figuring out who to report it to.  I'd say that they took the action that would get potential help to folks the fastest way possible. 

And it didn't "stay within the CAP" system.  It apparently was reported to AFRCC whose job it is to decide what to do about these things. 

So, they followed a safe course -- report it through the chain of command.  Some Wings have instructions on how specifically situations like this should be handled, but most do not and CAP has no national guidance on this issue that I'm aware of.

As a pilot shouldn't he have called ATC and let them take care of it?

[RiverAux]

As a pilot shouldn't he have called ATC and let them take care of it?

Don't know.  Is that a federal rule of some kind?  The wings that I'm familar with that have supplements say first notify them and and then notify your chain of command. 

[sardak]

It's not regulatory. From the FAA's "Aeronautical Information Manual" Section 6-2-5(d)
1. Pilots are encouraged to monitor 121.5 MHz and/or 243.0 MHz while inflight to assist in identifying possible emergency ELT transmissions. On receiving a signal, report the following information to the nearest air traffic facility:
(a) Your position at the time the signal was first heard.
(b) Your position at the time the signal was last heard.
(c) Your position at maximum signal strength.
(d) Your flight altitudes and frequency on which the emergency signal was heard: 121.5 MHz or 243.0 MHz. If possible, positions should be given relative to a navigation aid. If the aircraft has homing equipment, provide the bearing to the emergency signal with each reported position.

Per other FAA procedures, the FAA facility receiving the report is supposed to send the ELT report up channels and ARTCC, some terminal facilities, and flight service stations are supposed to contact AFRCC.

Mke