Mission Report
Mission #07M1592
August 25, 2006
ELT Search
Submitted by Capt. Kim Kirschman

At about 0030 local time on Friday, August 25, I received a call from Col Ralph Tomlinson, Iowa Wing Commander, requesting that I initiate an emergency locator beacon (ELT) search in the vicinity of Huxley, Iowa.  As the coordinates provided by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) were centered a few miles north of Todd Airport, a small private airport north and east of Ankeny, Col Tomlinson requested that I make a ground search of that airport.  I did so, but I was unable to pick up an ELT signal using either a handheld radio or a radio in an airplane based at Todd's.  I called upon Lt Tony Short to serve as crew; we met at the Ankeny airport and were off the ground at approximately 0200 in 97465, an Iowa Wing Cessna 172.  We proceeded directly north, and when we reached an area about three miles east of Huxley began to hear a very faint ELT signal.  Indications were that the signal was coming from somewhere to the northeast, but we lost the signal after flying 3 or 4 miles in that direction.  We returned to the original point of signal reception and were again able to hear the signal.  We flew east this time, and within 4 or 5 miles began to notice a slight increase in signal strength.  We continued eastbound and eventually determined the signal was quite likely emanating from an ELT on or very close to the Marshalltown (MIW) airport.  We contacted our ground team, which was at that time in the Ames area, and requested they join us in Marshalltown.

After landing, I made contact with the airport manager and asked for his assistance to open hangars and locate the ELT.  He arrived at the airport within about 30 minutes, as did our ground team.  We used a handheld radio to isolate the offending ELT and disabled it.  We departed for Ankeny, landing at 0430.

Notes:

1.  The night was moonless, reinforcing the need for the aircrew to be 'dark night' proficient;
2.  Lessons learned:
        a.  Portable DF equipment to be used by aircrew is still on the "needed" list;
        b.  Radio communication with mission staff and ground teams while the aircraft is on the ground may not be possible, in which case      cell phone use is the most viable alternative.