LR35A aircraft mechanic inadvertently activated the emergency locator transponder (ELT).

Attributes
ACN	400275
Time
Date	199804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hio
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	400275
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While performing maintenance on copilot's circuit breaker panel, the ELT was accidentally activated via the cockpit arm/on switch. Switch is poorly located and inadequately guarded. There is no audio or visual indication in the cockpit that the ELT is activated. The 'beeper' on the ELT itself is barely audible from the cockpit, and is not distinctive in sound (we thought it was the building alarm fault code beeper). Recommend better switch guard, cockpit indication, more distinctive beeper, and personnel training on what the beeper sounds like.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR35A ACFT MECH INADVERTENTLY ACTIVATED THE EMER LOCATOR XPONDER (ELT).

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING MAINT ON COPLT'S CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, THE ELT WAS ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATED VIA THE COCKPIT ARM/ON SWITCH. SWITCH IS POORLY LOCATED AND INADEQUATELY GUARDED. THERE IS NO AUDIO OR VISUAL INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT THAT THE ELT IS ACTIVATED. THE 'BEEPER' ON THE ELT ITSELF IS BARELY AUDIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT, AND IS NOT DISTINCTIVE IN SOUND (WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BUILDING ALARM FAULT CODE BEEPER). RECOMMEND BETTER SWITCH GUARD, COCKPIT INDICATION, MORE DISTINCTIVE BEEPER, AND PERSONNEL TRAINING ON WHAT THE BEEPER SOUNDS LIKE.

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.