Aircraft picked up from maintenance with ELT switch in on position. Search and rescue commenced.

Attributes
ACN	191621
Time
Date	199110
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 3rh airport : 3r4
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	191621
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I picked up our small aircraft from FBO at houston, tx, hobby airport. They had just completed an annual inspection on the aircraft which included reworking the flight controls. After preflight I flew the airplane from houston to many, la, and tied the aircraft down for the overnight. I received a telephone call from the airport manager informing me that he had been notified that my aircraft was emitting a distress signal from the ELT and the cap as well as the local military field had been involved in the search for the origin of the signal. Upon removing the inspection plate on the tail, I found the ELT switch was left in the on position rather than the armed position. What a ridiculous waste of time, effort, and money was caused by poor maintenance practices. The problem could also have been avoided if I had simply tuned my radio for a quick check of the ELT on 121.5 when picking up the aircraft. Finally, I thought it unusual that the ATC facility upon departing houston hobby did not receive the distress signal and inform me at that time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT PICKED UP FROM MAINT WITH ELT SWITCH IN ON POS. SEARCH AND RESCUE COMMENCED.

Narrative: I PICKED UP OUR SMA FROM FBO AT HOUSTON, TX, HOBBY ARPT. THEY HAD JUST COMPLETED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON THE ACFT WHICH INCLUDED REWORKING THE FLT CTLS. AFTER PREFLT I FLEW THE AIRPLANE FROM HOUSTON TO MANY, LA, AND TIED THE ACFT DOWN FOR THE OVERNIGHT. I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE ARPT MGR INFORMING ME THAT HE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED THAT MY ACFT WAS EMITTING A DISTRESS SIGNAL FROM THE ELT AND THE CAP AS WELL AS THE LCL MIL FIELD HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE SIGNAL. UPON REMOVING THE INSPECTION PLATE ON THE TAIL, I FOUND THE ELT SWITCH WAS LEFT IN THE ON POS RATHER THAN THE ARMED POS. WHAT A RIDICULOUS WASTE OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY WAS CAUSED BY POOR MAINT PRACTICES. THE PROBLEM COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD SIMPLY TUNED MY RADIO FOR A QUICK CHK OF THE ELT ON 121.5 WHEN PICKING UP THE ACFT. FINALLY, I THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL THAT THE ATC FACILITY UPON DEPARTING HOUSTON HOBBY DID NOT RECEIVE THE DISTRESS SIGNAL AND INFORM ME AT THAT TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.