121.5 and ELT's
 

I was (bored) at work this morning listening to the scanner at work and heard an ELT going off (121.5 is included in the scan). Looking up at the clock I noticed that it was just after the start of the hour so I thought nothing of it, it shut off after about a minute. About 15 minutes later I heard another ELT going off and it has now been on for 20 minutes or so. I also heard some garbled transmission that was either to or from a SWA flight on 121.5.

The question is..Do you guys in the 'big' planes monitor 121.5 or do you leave that to ATC/FSS? If you do, what is your response to a ELT activation or some form of emergency call on 121.5?

Yes. We do in Heavys in the military and I'm pretty sure most Airlines do too since I hear them relaying ELT info all the time. 121.5 or "Guard" is monitored at all times until something happens...if we hear an ELT, we report it, or if its a nuisance, we silence Guard for 10 minutes and hope it goes away. Guard saves your bacon, I've had the radio I was talking to ATC on fail, not know it, until they called us on guard.

It was not SOP at my airlines, but I will monitor it if I have a spare radio...we need one for ATC, and a second for company/ACARS so you can only do guard if you have a third radio. Not all airlines do.

I hear an ELT a couple times/year, and sometimes hear a GA pilot who missed a handoff and is trying to find a center freq.

Just do it. Or be sure to tune in 123.45 over the ocean. You don't want to miss my weekly stand-up routine on the way out to 30W.