Virginia Civil Air Patrol conducts search for Emergency Locator Transmitter near Suffolk

RICHMOND, Va. –   

Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) Virginia Wing successfully completed a search for an aviation Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) near Suffolk, Virginia. At approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday May 19th, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center notified Virginia Wing that an ELT had been detected by several aircraft flying over the Norfolk International Airport and requested CAP’s assistance to locate it. 

Within an hour of the request, CAP activated and dispatched 12 personnel who split into four search teams. In addition, five other CAP members supported the mission from a virtual command post. Once in the field, each team began to conduct coordinated searches of public airports across Virginia’s Tidewater area. Due to inclement weather, CAP was unable to launch an aircraft to aid in the search.  

After conducting checks at several locations, including Newport News, Langley Air Force Base, Norfolk International, Chesapeake, Hampton Roads, and Suffolk airports, a CAP ground team detected a faint signal approximately 1145 p.m. Utilizing direction finding equipment, the CAP teams converged on Garner Airport in Windsor, VA and determined the signal was located in an aircraft hangar on the airport. After notifying the owner of the aircraft, the teams safely returned home. 

This is the third successful ELT search mission that Virginia Wing has completed this year. In addition to this activity, Virginia Wing has recently been involved in support missions for the state level response to the COVID-19 emergency. Working with the Virginia National Guard, CAP members have helped transport medical supplies and test kits across Virginia.

For More Information:

Contact info: Lt Col Josh Shields, CAP – joshua.shields@vawg.cap.gov – 703-867-8679