Mission Report
Mission #03M1961
August 22-23, 2003
Council Bluffs ELT
Submitted by 1Lt Kim Kirschman

Friday evening at about 2030 local time I received a call from Lt Col Tomlinson, wing director of operations, about a possible ELT mission to the Council Bluffs area.  No mission number had been assigned, but I agreed to preflight 919CP (a Cessna 172S) at the Ankeny airport and be ready if the mission came through. At about 2100 a mission number was assigned, and I flew from the Ankeny airport to Ames to pickup Lt Col Tomlinson and 2Lt Pederson.  We departed Ames at 2135 and set course directly for Council Bluffs.  Two ground units also departed for Council Bluffs.  Weather was clear, though visibility was somewhat limited due to haze.

SARSAT plots placed the ELT signal in the area of Lake Manawa, on the south edge of Council Bluffs.  During the day, the signal had been tracked across Iowa, so the assumption was an aircraft was being transported on a ground vehicle and jarring had activated the ELT.  When the signal remained fixed in the Council Bluffs area, it was assumed the vehicle had stopped for the night.  As 919CP approached Council Bluffs from the E-NE and crossed the city in a SW direction, a weak signal that in some respects resembled a standard ELT signal was received for a short time.  The signal was lost as the aircraft arrived in the Lake Manawa area.  As the search area was expanded to the east, a signal was again received.  Since the Council Bluffs airport is located east of the city, a decision was made to run a quick search of the airport area.  The signal strength increased significantly in the immediate vicinity of the airport, but the directional qualities of the signal were very erratic.  Even though the signals were erratic, by flying north-south passes east of, west of, and over the airport it was determined there was a good probability the ELT was in fact somewhere on the airport.  After landing, the aircraft was taxied to various locations on the main ramp and turned in various directions.  Using the aircraft's DF radio in this manner, one particular hangar seemed very likely to be housing an offending ELT.  After shutting down and securing 919CP, we were helped by an airport employee who volunteered to unlock the hangar.  Using a handheld receiver, it was determined that a Cessna 340 located in the hangar was the source of the signal.

A Nebraska ground team arrived, so the two Iowa ground teams returned to their bases before arriving in Council Bluffs.  After a significant delay while phone calls were made seeking assistance in turning off the ELT because the device was found to be nearly inaccessible, the airport employee was finally able to deactivate the radio.

Later, the pilot of the 340 stated that during the day stops were made in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, followed by a return flight to Council Bluffs.  This activity is what led to the belief the ELT was being moved by a ground vehicle.  Another interesting twist to the mission was the ELT signal.  The distinctive warble of the standard signal was present, but at a much more rapid rate than usual.  Until the ELT was physically located, there was a question among crew members whether the signal was in fact from an ELT.

The aerial search in the Council Bluffs area was coordinated with Omaha Approach, as the initial search area was directly in the path of traffic departing the Omaha airport (Eppley).  As usual, the Omaha controllers were accommodating.

After the ELT was disabled, the return flight began.  Engine shutdown at the Ankeny airport occurred at 0208 local time.  And so another "o'dark thirty" mission went into the books.