International ELT Rules Clarified

Recent input from NBAA and new ICAO documents help clarify international ELT requirements. Starting this month, commercial air transport operators, including those under Part 135, flying in Europe, Russia and on long-range over-water flights (at least 400 nm offshore) must carry two ELTs capable of transmitting on 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz (ICAO Annex 6, Part 1). The first must be permanently mounted in the aircraft while the second can be a survival 121.5/406-MHz ELT, such as those carried in life rafts. ICAO rules state that Part 91 operators flying to Europe, Russia and on extended over-water flights (200 nm from shore) need to carry a single, permanently mounted automatic ELT capable of broadcasting on 121.5 and 406 MHz.