RDU Area ELT activation?

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Flyham

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Good afternoon, just wondering if any of the NC folks were monitoring ATL center on 128.800 around 1600 Local (1900 Z). I was able to monitor 3 seperate flights (Chitaqua (sp?) 5018, Colgan ???? and a Pilatus all mentioning hearing voice and ELT activation on 121.500 btwn KRDU and LIB vortac (PACK 6 departure?) the Chitaqua flt commented the signal was "strongest in this area".

Any others here of same?

Nathan (K4NWJ)
 

trumpetman

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This might be something to post/move to the NC forum since it's such a specific location, I know of a few people up there that monitor public safety, but I'm not exactly sure if they keep up with air traffic.
 

CqDx

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Air traffic controllers rely on pilot reports on ELT activation. Most airline companies (and flight schools) monitor 121.5 if they have a second radio equipped, it is not a FAA requirement but most pilots do so on courtesy.

On the note with what you heard, ELT can be activated in many ways, most of the time it was due to equipment malfunction or most commonly, hard landings. When I was learning for my private pilot license, one of the item on the shutdown checklist was to make sure ELT is not activated.
 
D

DaveNF2G

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ELT is becoming the aviation equivalent of the car alarm. I've heard car alarms referred to as "urban crickets" - something you hear every night and learn to ignore.
 

K4DHR

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We hear them all the time through the couple of guard transmitters we have in my area at the center. Probably 90-95% of the ones we hear are just people testing ELTs. It comes on for a few seconds, then turns right back off. Since one of the RCAGs for our guard frequencies is at an airport, the ELT signal is usually pretty strong in those instances. Most of the reports we get are from false activations, from hard landings or a poorly mounted ELT. About two months ago, we got multiple ELT reports from aircraft spanning a 80-90 mile area at various altitudes. Turns out it was a Cessna 421 that had somehow activated the ELT in flight.
 

littona

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When I was in high school, I was in the Civil Air Patrol. We'd occasionally get sent out on "wild goose chases" looking for ELT's. We found one in a rural neighborhood in a pilot's garage. Nothing beats the look on someone's face when you knock on their door at 3 AM and ask if they're a pilot!
 
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