Flew in to Anchorage yesterday. About halfway between Nondalton and Port Alsworth, at around 2000 feet, I heard a strange blip on the radio. I turned off squelch on the #2, which was monitoring 121.5, and there it was, an actual ELT. The signal got a bit stronger, then as I neared Port Alsworth it got weaker. I called in and reported it to Kenai Radio, reported it to the other aircraft in the area, and reported it to the NPS, since that is over part of Lake Clark park.

No idea what the resolution of the situation was. I feel as though I should have worked harder to pinpoint the location. I have always assumed that if I hear an ELT going off it will likely be a false alarm. But there appears to be nobody and nothing in the region where the signal was strongest, so I suspect that may not be the case here.

For peace of mind, maybe call FSS (land line) to see if they concluded the origin?

I have had that happen 2-3 times over the years, always gives me a weird feeling...

There were some guys reporting it to Dillingham Radio, a cub was picking it between DLG and Togiak. From DLG to ANC I never picked anything up all day.

My very first such experience was north of Anchorage as I was returning from my "short" solo cross country. I heard the whoop whoop, and then a voice transmission, calling "the southbound maroon 150 flying east of Mt. Susitna"--that would be me! For a very low time student, that was exciting! I answered, and he said that he'd broken a ski landing, but no injuries--but he needed rescuing as this was in December 72 or January 73 and pretty nippy at night. So I called Anchorage Center and reported it, and they said they would notify SAR. I didn't think to follow up on it.

Since that time, I suppose I've reported a dozen or more ELTs here and there. Good bet that most were false alarms, but you never know.

Cary

RCC report from the date of the incident:

MISSION OPENED IN RESPONSE TO A REPORTED 121.5 ELT TRANSMISSION IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE CLARK PASS. KENAI CIVIL AIR PATROL WAS TASKED AND RESPONDED WITH A CESSNA 172 AIRCRAFT. CAP WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE WEAK ELT SIGNAL AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH. SHORTLY AFTER ADDITIONAL ELT REPORTS WERE REPORTED IN THE NORTH COOK INLET / ANCHORAGE VICINITY. ANCHORAGE CAP WAS TASKED AND RESPONDED WITH A GROUND SEARCH TEAM. CAP TEAM MEMBERS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE ELT, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CEASED TRANSMISSIONS.

Unofficial report I heard from a NPS ranger at Lake Clark was that a cub had crashed the previous day at Nondalton. Salvage operations were underway and the airplane was being moved (possibly on the lake? didn't think to ask) but nobody had shut off the ELT.

If that is correct, it seems odd that the RCC report didn't turn that up...but that is what I was told.

I once responded to an EPIRB goose chase for the Coast Guard that was reported 3 or 4 miles from where I was fishing. The search yielded absolutely nothing. Weird stuff these radio signals.

Troy Hamon wrote:Unofficial report I heard from a NPS ranger at Lake Clark was that a cub had crashed the previous day at Nondalton. Salvage operations were underway and the airplane was being moved (possibly on the lake? didn't think to ask) but nobody had shut off the ELT.

If that is correct, it seems odd that the RCC report didn't turn that up...but that is what I was told.

Yup, correct. A cub upside down off the runway (my greenhorn two cents: ground loop, was a really ugly gusty day). Feller got himself banged up pretty nicely, but walked away, leaving 1) a nice helmet-shaped 2" deep bend in a cross member (that's what the tube above the pilot's head is, right?) and 2) a busted helmet.

Another vote for helmets.

And another vote that considering what we do leaves a little bit higher probability of an incident that if you do find yourself with a bent plane off airport someplace run a mental checklist....

1. Don't call you wife first when your still stressing out.

2. Call the best friend you know who will come and save your $ss

3. Make sure your ELT is not going off.

4. Even if its bent tie it down...especially on an Idaho ridge top at 5,000 ft!

4. Call the local Sheriffs office and tell them where your plane is at and that you are okay. They don't care about FAA and NTSB only that there's not a wounded pilot wandering around in the woods someplace after another pilot flies over and see's your boo boo and calls it in.

Not sure how I learned all this stuff but pretty sure it's good info.

AvidFlyer wrote:4. Call the local Sheriffs office and tell them where your plane is at and that you are okay. They don't care about FAA and NTSB only that there's not a wounded pilot wandering around in the woods someplace after another pilot flies over and see's your boo boo and calls it in.

Not sure how I learned all this stuff but pretty sure it's good info.

Not necessarily so on the last #4, I've known them to contact the FAA.