Mission Report
Mission #04M1546
July 15, 2004
Emergency Locator Beacon Search
Submitted by Capt Kim Kirschman
I received a call from Col Tomlinson at 1850 tasking me with assembling an aircrew to conduct a search for an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) provided two sets of coordinates from satellite hits: 40 59.2 N, 93 41 W and 40 57.9 N, 93 15.5 W. One set of coordinates was close to the Osceola airport, and the other set was close to the Charitan airport. In addition, a FedEx aircraft had reported a signal in the vicinity of the Charitan airport. Des Moines squadron members 2Lt Bart Hawley and 1Lt Tony Short responded to my request for assistance. A Fort Dodge flight service station weather briefing indicated satisfactory conditions existed over the probable search area. Aircrew members met at the Ankeny airport, preflighted the aircraft and established a tentative search plan that would begin with a flight direct to the Osceola airport and an electronic search from the area if the ELT signal was received. Using aircraft N13Q, a Cessna 182Q, and operating under the standard CAP callsign of CAP Flight 1313 (CPF1313), takeoff from Ankeny occurred at 1941. After takeoff, Des Moines Departure was contacted for clearance through their airspace enroute southbound to Osceola. The controller relayed information that a non-CAP aircraft was flying in the Osceola-Charitan area and had reported the ELT signal was quite strong in the vicinity of the Charitan airport. The route of flight was therefore slightly amended to a few degrees east of south, with the intent of flying to a point midway between the airports. When approximately 10 miles northwest of the Charitan airport, an ELT signal was heard (at 1959). DF radio indications indicated the signal was more probably coming from the Charitan area than from Osceola, so a southeasterly heading, directly toward the Charitan airport, was flown. With a minute or two it became apparent an even more easterly heading was required. When approximately three miles directly north of the Charitan airport, radio indications showed a need to continue flying almost directly east. Over the next several minutes the signal strength rose and fell, at time lending the impression we were flying directly away from the ELT. Eventually, however, signal strength increased substantially while we were still headed east. A point was finally reached where DF needle movement indicated possible passage of the ELT. After turning 180 degrees and proceeding westbound for a short distance, we overflew what appeared to be grass runway. After making a number of passes over the airport from various directions and around the airport for DF reading confirmation, it was decided the source of the ELT signal was on or adjacent to the strip. A windsock was noted adjacent to the strip, along with a building that could be used as a hangar. Since the strip was private (and not even marked on the sectional chart), we were unable to land. At that time we had the choice of climbing to a higher altitude to make an attempt to contact ground units that were enroute but quite distant or proceeding to a nearby public airport. Since there was no assurance of contacting the ground unit, we proceeded to the Albia airport, which was about 10 miles ENE. We landed at Albia at 2025 and contacted Col Tomlinson by phone to make a report. A conversation with a person who was at the airport secured the name and phone number of the possible owner of the strip we had located. That information was relayed to Col Tomlinson. He did in fact make contact and the person who owned the strip and some aircraft that were hangared there agreed to check the ELTs in the aircraft. CPF1313 departed Albia at 2034, returned to the area of the strip, and orbited the area at about 4000’. We were able to make radio contact with ground unit Iowa Cap 610, which at that time was just southeast of Des Moines enroute to the search area. The ELT signal was lost at approximately 2110; that time coincided with the owner of the strip calling Col Tomlinson to say that while no ELT appeared to be malfunctioning he had turned them off. CPF1313 then returned to Ankeny, landing at 2135.
When I called Col Tomlinson to close the flight, he mentioned the strip owner stated that when he had propped a Piper Cub earlier in the day it moved on its own and had bumped into a Cessna Skyline that was in his hangar, causing damage to both aircraft. It is probable that bump triggered the ELT. Col Tomlinson also told me that Iowa CAP 610 would travel to the strip for the purpose of obtaining aircraft and ELT radio information necessary as part of a search mission.
Total flight time for the mission was 1.8 hours.
Ground team members in Iowa CAP 610: Roger Elliott, Nick Critelli, Erin Lowry
Ground team members in Iowa CAP 611: Troy Ruffin, Anita Elliott, Drew Schlosser
Incident Commander: Col Ralph Tomlinson
Lessons of note:
1. The ELT was located quite a distance from the probable search area as determined from AFRCC and some distance from the area suggested by two non-CAP aircraft. Since the ELT signal when originally received was erratic and remained that way until we were within only 3 or 4 miles of its actual location, there was a temptation to not believe the general indications provided by the DF radio and to instead spend time searching in the Osceola-Charitan area. Since it is very common for ELT signals to be erratic, even misleading, there was probably no right or wrong way to begin the search in this case.
2. Cell phone usage was again a factor. As the state is not covered by repeater units, there are occasions when the quickest and most reliable method of communication with both mission base and ground units (when the units are enroute and still too distant for radio contact or the aircraft is at a low altitude) is by cell phone or even a pay phone if one is located on an airport. Cell phone coverage is still not universal, and varies considerably by provider, but oftentimes more than one crew member is carrying a phone so at least one phone will work.
3. Though the mission took place during evening hours, there was enough daylight to spot the airstrip. In darkness, with the strip not being marked on the aeronautical chart, the feeling of urgency to bring a ground team to the site would have been much greater. As the ground teams originated in Ames, the travel distance and time was significant.