Punisher05 wrote:
I've been chasing ELT's in CAP for about 10 years now and I've seen a lot of weird things happen with them. Weak/dead batteries would be the most common problem I have run across.
Along the same line, the Breitling emergency system in his watch is a new one on me. I'm familiar with PLB's (Personal Locator Beacons), which are like ELT's for hikers and the like but how does the Breitling system work?
Weak or dead battery on the ELT was one of my first thoughts on its failure
possibilities, But folks brought up Fossett's professionalism and that created doubts
to that thought. Tho, I've seen very smart people make very alarming errors in judgement.
I began to crew a sailboat for a professional pilot a few years back. Twice within a couple
of months I got calls she was sinking at the dock. 1st time excuse..mechanic boo-boo,
2nd time reverts to the first time. Cheap A$$ boat owner cutting corners.
I grabbed my kit and I haven't looked back...I have similar airplane stories. Bolts holding the prop on safety-wired backwards...adios buddy thanks for the flying!!!
No flight plan, implied defective ELT, borrowed aircraft, pedestrian disregard of the
environment he was engaged with...we can speculate forever. I hope he
makes it out. If he makes it out I'm sure he'll have a whole new approach
even if he's flying VFR-direct to a hundred dollar hamburger. Good luck Mr. Fossett!
Punisher, as for the Breitling...member Versatile brought it up in another thread and Tom
Friedman filled in some details. A knob has to be unscrewed and an antennae has to be
extended to activate it for 72hrs transmission time to a satellite. The operater has
to be conscious for this and the watch not having been damaged in the crash.
No impact activation as I understand it.
googled Fossett+Breitling,
www.idealog.us/2007/09/steve-fosset-mi.html
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