From AOPA.com:

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2008/080228elt.html

Gadget saves pilot who ditched at sea

By Alyssa J. Miller

If Maurice Kirk hadn’t been carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB) on Feb. 16 when his J-3 Cub went down more than 70 miles out to sea, he probably wouldn’t be alive today.

Kirk’s story exemplifies why pilots should assess the type of flying they do and equip their aircraft with the type of ELT or alternative emergency equipment that best suits their needs. While AOPA opposes any attempt to mandate a change to 406-MHz ELTs, it does encourage members to proactively seek emergency equipment that matches their flying habits.

“Pilots can have a 121.5-MHz ELT or 406-MHz ELT installed in their U.S.-registered aircraft,” said Rob Hackman, AOPA senior director of regulatory affairs. “Because satellites will stop monitoring 121.5 MHz next year, pilots should be evaluating their choice of ELTs and all other emergency equipment, including PLBs.”

Right now, the FAA is not mandating a switch to 406-MHz ELTs. Both units will continue to satisfy the Federal Aviation Regulations and work after Feb. 1, 2009; air traffic control and pilots will still monitor 121.5 MHz.

A 121.5-MHz ELT continuously transmits a signal that search and rescuers can use to home in on the aircraft, but it is limited to line of sight. A 406-MHz ELT is GPS-enhanced and emits a data burst at specified intervals that contains registration information, including contact numbers. Alternative emergency equipment, like a PLB or a cell phone with GPS technology are other options to consider. The advantage of a PLB or cell phone is that pilots can activate them before making an emergency landing.
Pilot talks about his accident, rescue

Kirk, a 62-year-old pilot from South Wales, United Kingdom, ditched his Piper J-3 Cub in the ocean between the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands after an engine failure.

The FAA notified the U.S. Coast Guard at Great Inagua of Kirk’s mayday call, and a HH-60 Jayhawk twin-engine search and rescue helicopter set out based on information from Kirk’s VFR flight plan.

Kirk, who was carrying a 406-MHz PLB, estimated that he activated the beacon about 20 minutes after he ditched the aircraft and swam to the surface. Kirk said the cold water shocked his system and deteriorated his ability to think clearly, so he did not think to activate the beacon while he was trying to inflate his life raft.

When search officials received the PLB signal and the unit’s registration information, they contacted the facility in New Zealand where he purchased the unit and then contacted his wife in South Wales to ensure the PLB hadn’t been stolen (and that her husband was indeed flying in the Caribbean), Kirk learned after his rescue.

The HH-60 helicopter diverted to the PLB’s transmitted location and rescued Kirk, who was suffering from hypothermia, a little more than two hours after the J-3 Cub went down.

“There’s no doubt that if I had not had this particular personal locator beacon, I would have been shark meat, simple as that,” Kirk told AOPA. He said now he’d carry the PLB wherever he flew.
AOPA’s position on ELTs

AOPA supports the FAA’s current policy that allows pilots to choose what type of ELT to use and will appose any type of mandate.

The association has compiled information on the two types of ELTs to help members decide which will work best for them after 2009. For details on the differences in technology and cost of the ELTs, read Steven W. Ells AOPA Pilot column “Airframe and Powerplant: Getting a Better Signal” and AOPA’s regulatory brief.

I'd sort of like to meet the guy who was 70 miles out to sea in a J3 cub...he's got to be something of a character. Where exactly did he store the life raft?

He did say 70 miles off shore. Wow, Thats a set of stones. That means he had used almost one hour of fuel getting there at a min. and another getting where he was heading.
One thing on the 121.5 vs. 406 , we alway monitor 121.5 on the right com. at my company and most do. There are lots more jets than sar helio's out there. I do like the idea of haveing a small personal 406 you can get at marine dealers but changeing over totally seem you would lose all that monitoring coverage.

Eddie:

My ACR TerraFix PLB also transmits on 121.5 for SAR homing.

"Transmits on 406 MHz via the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system with your registered unique, digitally coded distress signal and 121.5 MHz (SAR local homing frequency)."

See: www.acrterrafix.com

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Kirk a couple years ago in Sydney after he had flown his cub from England to Sydney Australia. He is indeed a one of a kind. Check out his website. www.kirkflyingvet.com

Hammer wrote:I'd sort of like to meet the guy who was 70 miles out to sea in a J3 cub...he's got to be something of a character. Where exactly did he store the life raft?

According to this video clip of him flying, it appears he keeps it draped over the front seat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp8zk8khQFs

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Does anybody know what the two red rubber hoses are for on the panel?

patrol guy wrote:Does anybody know what the two red rubber hoses are for on the panel?

Look like extensions for the knobs on the altimeter and AI.

Gump

Does anybody know what the two red rubber hoses are for on the panel?

Looks like they are for adjusting his instruments...since he probably can't reach over the seat with a life raft in the way.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you out there are angry that this guy's accident increased your insurance rates, and that a government funded rescue craft had to be summoned?

Come on Ravi,

That isn't even a blip on the screen to cause any raise except for the crew giving each other a high five when they brought him on board.

You don't really believe that rescue craft just sits waiting with no expense do you.

Now if he hadn't had the latest in technology and they spent weeks and millions trying to find him then I would be leading the whine wagon.

If only Steve had his life raft with him...

Hammer wrote:If only Steve had his life raft with him...

He did. I got it in my back yard, floatin' in the kiddie pool.

Now that he's been declared dead after all of five months, and the vultures have all his money, the reward isn't worth squat, so I may as well salvage what I can off him and the airplane. Anybody want an ELT wristwatch???

Gump

Gump...based on your previous posts I'm a little hesitant to ask, but what exactly did you do with his corpse? Please don't tell me you opened a Ugandan restaurant...

Hammer wrote: what exactly did you do with his corpse?

I didn't do anything. Coyote Ugly beat me to it. Go look at his pic in the gallery, "Cow on a stick." Very disturbed people here in the wilds of Nevada.

Gump

jmtgt wrote:Keeps most the Californians out!!!! I wish.......

Those ARE the disturbed ones !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gump

GumpAir wrote:

Hammer wrote:If only Steve had his life raft with him...

He did. I got it in my back yard, floatin' in the kiddie pool.


Gump

well I'm a little hesitant to ask, but what exactly are you are doing with a kiddie pool?

snoopydoc wrote:well I'm a little hesitant to ask, but what exactly are you are doing with a kiddie pool?

Growing cat embryos...

And, if I ever want to put the Cessna up on floats I gotta place to park.

Gump

GumpAir wrote:

Hammer wrote: what exactly did you do with his corpse?

I didn't do anything. Coyote Ugly beat me to it. Go look at his pic in the gallery, "Cow on a stick." Very disturbed people here in the wilds of Nevada.

Gump

Very Disturbed.... And that's putting it politely..... Ha Ha..

On a serious note, after breaking down in the Owyhee Desert last summer, I found out that american aircarriers aren't required to monitor 121.5 any longer. I used to think that as a last resort I could always get ahold of an airliner overhead, to pass on a message, or something, and I guess I still could, but not on 121.5... You have to know the right Center freq.. Foreign Airlines apparently still do monitor 121.5 though, and I did get ahold of a British Airways jet later that night, he passed on a message, unbeknownst to me, and the next morning, I was rescued by joecub.... Just a tidbit of info....

Coyote Ugly wrote:On a serious note

I'm wanting to get a PLB for when I take the four-wheeler out on the trails here (and use for the airplane). It's a loooong ways from anywhere, and if hurt, a guy could be in big trouble real fast. Or just breaking down could mean a 50+ mile walk back to the truck.

But the big dilemma is what the Feds are gonna do with eventually requiring the 406 ELT's. I just hate to shell out $600 for a PLB, then get stuck with $1,000 more for a new ELT.

Of course if I was laying under my Honda Rubicon with a broken leg 70 miles from the nearest anything, I'd be offering to write the check to anyone who'd come rescue me. So not much real brain power is needed to figure that one out.

Gump