The Salina based Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was recently credited by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center with two non-distress emergency locator beacon finds, with the second ELT alerting just minutes after the first was deactivated.

According to the patrol, On July 13th, they were contacted by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center located at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in regard to an active emergency locator transmitter signal, or ELT signal, in the Lawrence, Kan. area. Due to severe weather the mission was suspended until  the next day, when an aircraft and three ground teams were launched to investigate the source of the signal.

The first ELT was found at Gardner Airport in Gardner, Kansas with the battery discovered to be defective. The second ELT was found at Ottawa Airport in Ottawa, Kansas with the ELT found to be sounding for an unfounded reason.

In the past three months, Kansas Wing, Civil Air Patrol has been tasked with 6 ELT missions and has successfully found 7 ELTs without incident.

All ELT missions are treated as distress related until the aircraft is found. This requires a prompt response from supporting volunteers.

These successful missions showcase the abilities of volunteers within Kansas Wing, and show the dedication that our members have towards preserving life and supporting general aviation.

Colonel Linette Lahan,the Kansas Wing Commander, noted that, “our volunteers train to be able to respond when called and are prepared to assist with either distress or non-distress calls.”

Kansas Wing volunteers continue to show their dedication to serving their community, state, and nation by being ready to respond to a variety of missions, such as blood runs and ELT searches.
With approximately 400 volunteer members spread across the state, 10 squadrons, and three aircraft, Kansas Wing continues to respond promptly and professionally to requests for assistance.