Readers of GeneralAviationNews.com are reminded that satellite monitoring of distress signals emitted by 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) ended Feb. 1.
On that date the Cospas-Sarsat Organization – an international search and rescue program that provides service to the United States – terminated processing of distress signals on the 121.5 mHz frequency. Now only signals from 406 mHz ELTs are being processed by the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. The change is expected to result in fewer false alerts while increasing the responsiveness of rescuers to actual distress calls.
Pilots flying aircraft equipped only with 121.5 mHz ELTs must now depend on pilots of over-flying aircraft and/or ground stations monitoring 121.5 mHz to report distress signals transmitted from a possible crash site.
For information: http://web.nbaa.org/member/ops/cns/elt/1215-termination.php
