8.918 USB search for debris and oil slick

[KMG54]

Getting comms from New York instructing commercial aircraft to listen foe a ELT and look for debris and oil slick at 34N 68W. Also Navy2 instructed to head to this area. Ship or aircraft emegency? Still listening at 4:30 EST.

 

[K9WG]

Any update?

 

[KMG54]

Nothing heard after 5 PM est. Maybe just a drill? Funny to hear it on a commercial air freq though. Nothing on the news so maybe just a test. Sure sounded real though with New York still going about normal ops while instructing aircraft in that area to listen for a ELT. Also a lot of comms to navy2 directing him to that location and asking for reports of any sightings.We may never know. Those coridinates would put the locatiom about 200 miles east of Norfolk so it could have been training and testing.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Unless somebody alerts the media, it seems unlikely that they would become aware of such an operation being conducted on shortwave. It is also unlikely that a training exercise would involve commercial aircraft on scheduled flights.

If no airliners are reported missing, then we might get a report from the military about a military plane being lost.

 

[majoco]

Must have been an older aircraft - the 121.5 ELT frequency has now been replaced with a 406Mhz beacons which talk directly to the SARSAT system. Commercial aircraft are not equipped with 406MHz receivers. Ships and yachts may carry the old 121.5 ELT's, so I guess it may be something like that in trouble. Aircraft of course can listen to 121.5.

 

[KMG54]

Must have been an older aircraft - the 121.5 ELT frequency has now been replaced with a 406Mhz beacons which talk directly to the SARSAT system. Commercial aircraft are not equipped with 406MHz receivers. Ships and yachts may carry the old 121.5 ELT's, so I guess it may be something like that in trouble. Aircraft of course can listen to 121.5.

That is why I put ship as a option in the original post.I would not be posting here today if it was not for a ELT and a Delta airliner that spotted the 53 foot Mathews sportfisher that burst into flames 40 miles out of Walkers Cay that I was bringing back to Florida. Sitting in a 10 foot dinghy in the atlantic is not much fun!Thank you Coast Guard!

 

[wuzafuzz]

Must have been an older aircraft - the 121.5 ELT frequency has now been replaced with a 406Mhz beacons which talk directly to the SARSAT system. Commercial aircraft are not equipped with 406MHz receivers. Ships and yachts may carry the old 121.5 ELT's, so I guess it may be something like that in trouble. Aircraft of course can listen to 121.5.

Aircraft were not required to upgrade to 406 ELT's, in spite of 121.5 satellite monitoring coming to an end. I'm not sure, but I think boats were required to upgrade their EPIRBS. If that's accurate it would suggest an aircraft related mishap or drill. One caveat, even 406 MHz ELT's can have a low power 121.5 homing beacon.

Hopefully it was merely a drill.

 

[cg]

121.5 is still in the beacons but is a low power transmitter for short range. It just isn't monitored by the satellites any longer. An aircraft monitoring 121.5 and overflying a beacon would still be able to hear it.
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/Emergency_Beacons.asp

chris

 

[ridgescan]

That's a helluva catch melfi wish I caught that too.