Mission Report
Mission #05M0099
January 19, 2005
Emergency Locator Beacon Search
Submitted by Capt Kim Kirschman

I received a call from Col Tomlinson at approximately 1030 tasking me with assembling an aircrew to conduct a search for an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT).  The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) provided satellite hit coordinates that placed the signal a few miles south of the Rochester, MN, airport, so the mission was tentative pending state-to-state coordination.  At approximately 1130 the mission was approved.  Following a weather briefing and aircraft preflight inspection, 1Lt Tony Short and I departed the Ankeny airport as CPF1376 at 1222 and headed for the Rochester airport.  Weather conditions at Ankeny and Rochester were broken clouds to overcast at 2000 feet, with enroute conditions overcast at 1000 feet in some areas.  When approximately 30 miles southwest of the Rochester airport, a signal on 121.5mhz broke through the squelch on the #2 VHF aircraft radio.  However, no specific signal could be heard; only the typical background static and hiss were present.  When within 20 miles of the airport the DF radio indicated a signal off the nose of the aircraft, but still no aural signal could be heard.  We continued flying on a northeasterly heading, passing the Rochester airport about a mile east of the airport boundary.  As we passed the airport, the DF indicator showed the signal coming from the left, then from behind the aircraft.  We therefore made a pass to the west of the airport heading in a southwesterly direction, then made a pass directly over the airport while flying south to north.  The DF signals indicated the likelihood of a transmitter in the vicinity of some general aviation hangars that are located on the north-central boundary of the airport, so we landed and taxied around the hangar area.  At this time a ground unit tasked out of Wisconsin, Starfish 713, was searching the same area.  From equipment indications in both the aircraft and the ground vehicle, it was determined the signal was most probably emanating from an antenna farm located about 100 yards north and east of the hangars.  We reported our findings to personnel in the Rochester control tower.  Within less than 30 minutes we learned that a check of radio equipment by tower personnel revealed a transmitter switch had inadvertently been set to transmit during maintenance procedures.  That explained why a strong carrier-only signal had been received.  After refueling, we returned to the Ankeny airport, arriving at 1615.

Total flight time for the mission was 3.4 hours.

We did not meet the ground team, so names are unavailable.

Incident Commander: Col Ralph Tomlinson

Lessons of note:

1.    Winter flying requires some extra planning and cautions.  Strong winds and variable visibilities are common, and cold weather operations always need particular attention paid to fuel (quantities and water contamination) and survival equipment.

2.    The presence of only a carrier signal was a new experience for the crews and caused significant doubt about the legitimacy of the DF indications displayed.  In hindsight, the absence of a modulated signal together with the relatively strong carrier signal was a fair indicator that the signal was possibly not from a standard ELT, which is a very low-power transmitter. 

3.    Communications with Starfish 713 were trouble free.

4.    Ramp areas at the Rochester airport were ice and snow-packed, and required not only great care when taxiing but the complete avoidance of areas with little maneuvering space.

5.    Rochester tower personnel were fairly cooperative with our request for operations in close proximity to the airport, but they were clearly not thrilled.  The tower controller did notify ground personnel (airport security?) when she cleared us for the pass directly over the airport at 1000 feet.