Eclipse 500 flight instructor reported an inadvertent ELT activation in flight was not acknowledged ...

Attributes
ACN	1549672
Time
Date	201806
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Eclipse 500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	ELB / ELT
Person 1
Function	Check Pilot Pilot Not Flying Instructor
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 89 Flight Crew Total 17000 Flight Crew Type 2300
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown

Narrative:

During 61.58 recurrent check ride we were in assigned operating area a holding pattern 180 radial; 10 NM legs; right turns; from the ZZZ VOR. Operating under radar control for our upper air work such as stalls; steep turns; unusual attitudes. For the simulated emergency descent I was cleared to leave the block 7;000-8;000 down to 3;000 feet. The owner/operator donned his mask; shutoff autopilot; rolled to the left and started the descent. Then he mistook the red ELT switch for his mask/headset switch and activated his ELT beacon. Beacon set off with plenty loud noise on our frequency and assume on guard frequency. Took several attempts to reset the switch to the off position and quiet the beeper noise. There was zero/nada/no acknowledgment by the ZZZ TRACON; nor the ZZZ1 radar operator until about half hour later when we were shooting practice approaches at ZZZ1 and the radar controller said there was a report of the ELT [from our aircraft]. Think this should be investigated as something should have alerted our current ATC controller at the time of the activation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Eclipse 500 flight instructor reported an inadvertent ELT activation in flight was not acknowledged by the controlling ATC personnel.

Narrative: During 61.58 recurrent check ride we were in assigned operating area a holding pattern 180 radial; 10 NM legs; Right turns; from the ZZZ VOR. Operating under radar control for our upper air work such as stalls; steep turns; unusual attitudes. For the simulated emergency descent I was cleared to leave the block 7;000-8;000 down to 3;000 feet. The owner/operator donned his mask; shutoff autopilot; rolled to the left and started the descent. Then he mistook the red ELT switch for his mask/headset switch and activated his ELT beacon. Beacon set off with plenty loud noise on our frequency and assume on guard frequency. Took several attempts to reset the switch to the OFF position and quiet the beeper noise. There was ZERO/NADA/NO acknowledgment by the ZZZ TRACON; nor the ZZZ1 radar operator until about half hour later when we were shooting practice approaches at ZZZ1 and the radar controller said there was a report of the ELT [from our aircraft]. Think this should be investigated as something should have alerted our current ATC controller at the time of the activation.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.