Accidentally Triggered ELT Sends Montana Crews On Frantic Search | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-11.10.25

AirborneNextGen-
11.11.25

Airborne-Unlimited-11.12.25

Airborne-Unlimited-11.06.25

AirborneUnlimited-11.07.25

LIVE MOSAIC Town Hall (Archived): www.airborne-live.net

Sat, Aug 13, 2005

Accidentally Triggered ELT Sends Montana Crews On Frantic Search

Plane Found Safe In Owner's Garage

When the signal came in, search crews in Big Fork, MT, hit the bricks, in an effort that involved both ground and air units, looking for the source. Thirty-seven hours later, the search ended when the source of the Emergency Locator Transmitter signal was found -- in the owner's garage.

The owner, who was asleep when searchers finally pinpointed the source of the ELT signal, didn't want to be identified in the media (can you blame him?).

"I accidentally triggered the emergency transmitter while working on the plane and didn't know it," he told the Big Fork Eagle.

"A lot of money was spent," Flathead County Under-Sheriff Mike Meehan told the paper. "A lot of manpower and resources were used in looking for this plane.

"It was a careless mistake," Meehan said. "It was obviously unintentional. The man was very embarrassed."

Meehan told the Eagle his department was still deciding whether to bill the unnamed pilot for the cost of the search -- which could climb into the tens of thousands of dollars.

FMI: www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emerbcns.html

Advertisement

More News

NBAA Responds To GA/BA Operational Restrictions

Bolen Issues Statement Reinforcing Need To Reopen Government The National Business Aviation Association’s President and CEO issued the statement below in response to further >[...]

Boeing Deliveries Surge to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Output May Reach Its Best Since 2018 Despite Trailing Behind Airbus Boeing delivered 53 jets in October, bringing its 2025 total to 493 aircraft and marking its strongest output si>[...]

Spirit Forecasts Financial Turbulence

Low-Cost Airline Admits “Substantial Doubt” It Can Stay Airborne Spirit Airlines has once again found itself in financial trouble, this time less than a year after clai>[...]

Singapore Adds a Price Tag to Going Green

Travelers Leaving Changi Will Soon Pay for Sustainable Fuel Starting April 2026, passengers flying out of Singapore will find a new fee tucked into their tickets: a Sustainable Avi>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Arlie L Raber III Challenger 1

Pilot Was Having Difficulty Controlling The Airplane’S Rudder Pedals Due To His Physical Stature Analysis: The pilot was having difficulty controlling the airplane’s ru>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 10.03.25: Phantom 3500 Buy, ‘Chinese Military Company’, NOTAM Redesign

Airborne Affordable Flyers 10.02.25: MOSAIC Start Date, AFE25 Tickets, ePulitzer

Airborne 10.01.25: New Gulfstream G300, Affordable Flying Expo Tkts, Starship 11

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC