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Two ELTs Found at Same Airport

1/20/2013–– A resident at the Lake Norman Airpark (14A) notified CAP member and airpark resident Capt. Breece Nesbitt of NC-162 this morning (19 Jan 2013) of an active ELT on the field.  Capt. Nesbitt contacted IC, Maj. John May to pass along the neighbors’ report.  Maj May then contacted the AFRCC who confirmed that within the previous 30 minutes, there had been a 406 beacon Sarsat hit at the airport and provided the 406 beacon registration information for a single engine Mooney aircraft.  They also indicated that the aircraft had been reported sold by a relative of the owner in Texas within the past week but did not have any contact information for the new owner.  Flight Aware confirmed that the aircraft had been flown to the Charlotte area within the past week. 

A mission number was issued by the AFRCC at 11:15 am with Capt Corey Johnson from NC-121 and 1LT Scott Powell from NC-162 responding as a UDF team.  The Mooney was located at the airport FBO and with the assistance of a mechanic on the field, silenced the ELT.   Upon checking 121.5, the UDF team was still reporting an active beacon on the field.  Suspecting further mechanical issues with the ELT, the mechanic disconnected the battery.  An ELT signal was still active.  Further search of the field resulted in the additional ELT found in an Ercoupe in a hanger at a residence.  The mechanic for the aircraft based at the field assisted in turning that ELT off. 

Rarely will a UDF team locate two unrelated active beacons at the same airport at the same time.  This is also the same airport that the most recent previous mission nine days ago resulted in an additional ELT find.  Special thanks to Capt. Nesbitt for knowing the proper procedure to promptly contact an IC and to Capt. Johnson and 1LT Powell for their timely response and work to locate two ELT’s on the same field.  Total time from the first call to mission close out took less than 2.5 hours.  The Wing will be credited with two non distress finds.