Smartphones to the Rescue

Cell phones in the cockpit can help expedite the search should aircraft go missing.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 09:16 AM ET

Verified

These days searchers are using more advanced technology—specifically proprietary software designed by CAP—to locate cell phones with much faster and more accurate results without ever launching an aircraft. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Traditional Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) can be unreliable and imprecise, as demonstrated by an accident where a pilot's ELT failed to activate, delaying the discovery of the crash site.
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has significantly advanced search and rescue efforts by leveraging proprietary cell phone forensics and ADS-B radar analysis.
These modern technologies allow CAP to locate missing aircraft or persons much faster and with greater accuracy—often within 100 meters—compared to traditional ELT-based searches.
Pilots are encouraged to keep their FAA-approved smartphones on during flights, as the ability to locate a phone quickly and precisely serves as a crucial and effective lifesaving tool in emergency situations.

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On December 6, 2007, a Piper Dakota disappeared flying between Washington state’s Norm Grier Field (S36) and Pierce County Airport-Thun Field (KPLU) a distance of 16 nm. The commercial pilot was instrument rated and was alone except for his dog.

It was a dark night, but VFR conditions prevailed. The pilot had just completed an instrument and night proficiency flight with an instructor.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.