After landing, the pilot of a piper PA28 found that the aircraft's ELT (emergency locator transmitter) was in the on position, off its mounting, and hanging by its wires over the aircraft control cables.

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Attributes
ACN	434395
Time
Date	199904
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pne.airport
State Reference	PA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked ground other : post flt
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	434395
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment : elt aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : elt other controllerb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I preflted and took off on a VFR flight from N99 to pne. During my runup, I noticed a sound on the radio that I thought may have been an ELT, but I had never heard one before, so I wasn't sure. I checked the ELT switch by the left seat anyway. Did not think to listen on 121.5. Since I only heard it while other pilots were transmitting, I figured it was someone else who had maybe bounced a landing and set their ELT off. As I flew towards pne, I became convinced it was me, because it got no fainter as I flew on. When I landed at pne, it was especially loud on ground 121.7, but not audible when ATC transmitted. After I parked, I checked and still heard it on 121.5 on my handheld, so I opened the ELT access panel, and found the ELT off its mount, dangling by its wires on the control cables. I was going to leave the plane there and get a ride home, but after looking up the FARS, I figured it was ok to fly it home after removing the ELT and replacing the access panel, as long as I placarded the panel and let someone know my planned flight path. I did not put a note in the aircraft logbook because it was back at N99 locked up in the FBO.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG, THE PLT OF A PIPER PA28 FOUND THAT THE ACFT'S ELT (EMER LOCATOR XMITTER) WAS IN THE ON POS, OFF ITS MOUNTING, AND HANGING BY ITS WIRES OVER THE ACFT CTL CABLES.

Narrative: I PREFLTED AND TOOK OFF ON A VFR FLT FROM N99 TO PNE. DURING MY RUNUP, I NOTICED A SOUND ON THE RADIO THAT I THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELT, BUT I HAD NEVER HEARD ONE BEFORE, SO I WASN'T SURE. I CHKED THE ELT SWITCH BY THE L SEAT ANYWAY. DID NOT THINK TO LISTEN ON 121.5. SINCE I ONLY HEARD IT WHILE OTHER PLTS WERE XMITTING, I FIGURED IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAD MAYBE BOUNCED A LNDG AND SET THEIR ELT OFF. AS I FLEW TOWARDS PNE, I BECAME CONVINCED IT WAS ME, BECAUSE IT GOT NO FAINTER AS I FLEW ON. WHEN I LANDED AT PNE, IT WAS ESPECIALLY LOUD ON GND 121.7, BUT NOT AUDIBLE WHEN ATC XMITTED. AFTER I PARKED, I CHKED AND STILL HEARD IT ON 121.5 ON MY HANDHELD, SO I OPENED THE ELT ACCESS PANEL, AND FOUND THE ELT OFF ITS MOUNT, DANGLING BY ITS WIRES ON THE CTL CABLES. I WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE PLANE THERE AND GET A RIDE HOME, BUT AFTER LOOKING UP THE FARS, I FIGURED IT WAS OK TO FLY IT HOME AFTER REMOVING THE ELT AND REPLACING THE ACCESS PANEL, AS LONG AS I PLACARDED THE PANEL AND LET SOMEONE KNOW MY PLANNED FLT PATH. I DID NOT PUT A NOTE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK BECAUSE IT WAS BACK AT N99 LOCKED UP IN THE FBO.

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.