Narrative:

AA20 Z: received phone call from a cap mission coordinator stating that he had satellite hits from an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). ELT had been active for the last 8 hours with hits between tipton aaf (fme) and bwi, near lee airport (anp), and near severna park. A ground team was already in the area and having no success in locating the emitter. My assessment of the ground team: '2 of the best!' I have been a search and rescue mission pilot for about 12 yrs with numerous 'finds' and had located 3 ELT's within the last 2 months, including one on the preceding monday. I was the aircrew PIC for this mission. Departing runway 15L. Instructions from clearance were 'maintain VFR, fly runway heading at 2000 ft or below.' AC26: position 39 degrees 01 min north, 76 degrees 31 mins west acquired ELT, good signal. Maneuvering to localizer. Coordinating with ground team. Requested ground team flash hazard signal lights. All external aircraft lights on to assist ground team maintain visual contact. During the period AC26 through AE40 my primary concern was the safe navigation of the aircraft from visual reference points while monitoring the ELT direction finder. I was not able to maintain the instrument scan as would have been the case during a normal transit type of flight. Typically I would use the direction finder, fly to the general area of the ELT and then spiral down over it. Due to the congested area of downtown annapolis to the north, I flew a creeping line search pattern along spa creek, giving marks to the ground team at station passage. The aircrew was hindered by searchlights on the ground that were attempting to track the mission aircraft. I was not monitoring the altimeter constantly. I had selected the united states naval academy farragut field as my emergency landing area and was always within glide distance. The path to the field was nearly all over the open waters of spa creek and the severn river. There was never any doubt that I could glide to a safe landing without danger to persons or objects on the surface. AE40: ground team recovered ELT (eprb) on the pier next to 'le petite prince,' gladwyne, PA. The lesson learned from this search is that 1 member of the aircrew will be specifically tasked to monitor the altimeter in all future missions. Minimum operating altitudes will be understood by all concerned and maintained by the mission aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP DURING A NIGHT OP MAY HAVE FLOWN TOO LOW IN VIOLATION OF THE FARS.

Narrative: AA20 Z: RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM A CAP MISSION COORDINATOR STATING THAT HE HAD SATELLITE HITS FROM AN EMER LOCATOR XMITTER (ELT). ELT HAD BEEN ACTIVE FOR THE LAST 8 HRS WITH HITS BTWN TIPTON AAF (FME) AND BWI, NEAR LEE ARPT (ANP), AND NEAR SEVERNA PARK. A GND TEAM WAS ALREADY IN THE AREA AND HAVING NO SUCCESS IN LOCATING THE EMITTER. MY ASSESSMENT OF THE GND TEAM: '2 OF THE BEST!' I HAVE BEEN A SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION PLT FOR ABOUT 12 YRS WITH NUMEROUS 'FINDS' AND HAD LOCATED 3 ELT'S WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS, INCLUDING ONE ON THE PRECEDING MONDAY. I WAS THE AIRCREW PIC FOR THIS MISSION. DEPARTING RWY 15L. INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLRNC WERE 'MAINTAIN VFR, FLY RWY HDG AT 2000 FT OR BELOW.' AC26: POS 39 DEGS 01 MIN N, 76 DEGS 31 MINS W ACQUIRED ELT, GOOD SIGNAL. MANEUVERING TO LOC. COORDINATING WITH GND TEAM. REQUESTED GND TEAM FLASH HAZARD SIGNAL LIGHTS. ALL EXTERNAL ACFT LIGHTS ON TO ASSIST GND TEAM MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. DURING THE PERIOD AC26 THROUGH AE40 MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THE SAFE NAV OF THE ACFT FROM VISUAL REF POINTS WHILE MONITORING THE ELT DIRECTION FINDER. I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE INST SCAN AS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE DURING A NORMAL TRANSIT TYPE OF FLT. TYPICALLY I WOULD USE THE DIRECTION FINDER, FLY TO THE GENERAL AREA OF THE ELT AND THEN SPIRAL DOWN OVER IT. DUE TO THE CONGESTED AREA OF DOWNTOWN ANNAPOLIS TO THE N, I FLEW A CREEPING LINE SEARCH PATTERN ALONG SPA CREEK, GIVING MARKS TO THE GND TEAM AT STATION PASSAGE. THE AIRCREW WAS HINDERED BY SEARCHLIGHTS ON THE GND THAT WERE ATTEMPTING TO TRACK THE MISSION ACFT. I WAS NOT MONITORING THE ALTIMETER CONSTANTLY. I HAD SELECTED THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY FARRAGUT FIELD AS MY EMER LNDG AREA AND WAS ALWAYS WITHIN GLIDE DISTANCE. THE PATH TO THE FIELD WAS NEARLY ALL OVER THE OPEN WATERS OF SPA CREEK AND THE SEVERN RIVER. THERE WAS NEVER ANY DOUBT THAT I COULD GLIDE TO A SAFE LNDG WITHOUT DANGER TO PERSONS OR OBJECTS ON THE SURFACE. AE40: GND TEAM RECOVERED ELT (EPRB) ON THE PIER NEXT TO 'LE PETITE PRINCE,' GLADWYNE, PA. THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THIS SEARCH IS THAT 1 MEMBER OF THE AIRCREW WILL BE SPECIFICALLY TASKED TO MONITOR THE ALTIMETER IN ALL FUTURE MISSIONS. MINIMUM OPERATING ALTS WILL BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL CONCERNED AND MAINTAINED BY THE MISSION ACFT.

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.