Rescue crews of two airplanes, one a military Hercules, the other a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, went on a search for a downed airplane near Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada last week that is sure to stay in their memories for a while and will also serve as a good lesson in ELT operations. The airplanes were dispatched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Trenton, Ontario in response to an emergency locator transmitter signal, according to Frank Schuurmans, the president of Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) of Saskatchewan.
Schuurmans, who also piloted the Skyhawk during this mission, said he and his crew homed in on the ELT while in flight, but decided to opt for ground homing after the signal appeared to be moving. He said they were even more surprised to find a very strong signal in the hangar at the Regina Flying Club where the Skyhawk is based. As the flying club’s general manager Tom Ray passed by, the signal became even stronger. It turns out that Ray was carrying a package that he had just received from a courier. The package was addressed to the avionics shop in the back of the hangar.
