Editing Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (section)

== Phase-out of 121.5 MHz satellite alerting service ==
Because of the extremely high numbers of false alerts on the 121.500&nbsp;MHz frequency (over 98% of all COSPAS-SARSAT alerts), the IMO eventually requested a termination of COSPAS-SARSAT processing of 121.5&nbsp;MHz signals. The ICAO Council also agreed to this phase-out request, and the COSPAS-SARSAT Council decided that future satellites would no longer carry the 121.5&nbsp;MHz search and rescue repeater (SARR).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/imo/comsar/COMSAR5_14-final.pdf|title=Report to the Maritime Safety Committee|access-date=2018-02-09|archive-date=2017-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130232223/https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/imo/comsar/COMSAR5_14-final.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since 1 February 2009, only 406&nbsp;MHz beacons are detected by the international [[Cospas-Sarsat]] SAR satellite system. This affects all maritime beacons (EPIRBs), all aviation beacons (ELTs) and all personal beacons (PLBs). In other words, Cospas-Sarsat has ceased satellite detection and processing of 121.5/243&nbsp;MHz beacons. These older beacons are now only detectable by ground-based receivers and aircraft.

EPIRBs that do not transmit on 406&nbsp;MHz are banned on boats in the United States<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120617200719/http://www.boatus.com/gov/121epirb_banned.asp Use of 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs Banned]. ''BoatUS Magazine''. March 2007.</ref> and in many other jurisdictions. More information about the switch to 406&nbsp;MHz is available on [https://web.archive.org/web/20101121070529/http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=165&catid=29&lang=en Cospas-Sarsat's 121.5/243 Phase-Out] page.

Despite the switch to 406&nbsp;MHz, pilots and ground stations are encouraged to continue to monitor for transmissions on the emergency frequencies, as most 406&nbsp;MHz beacons are required to be equipped with 121.5 "homers." Furthermore, the 121.5&nbsp;MHz frequency remains the official global VHF aircraft voice distress frequency.

===FAA transition status===
In a Safety Recommendation released September 2007, the U.S. [[National Transportation Safety Board]] once again recommended that the U.S. FAA require all aircraft have 406&nbsp;MHz ELTs.<ref name="autogenerated4">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100607233208/http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2007/A07_51.pdf Safety recommendation (A-07-51)]. National Transportation Safety Board. 4 September 2007.</ref> They first recommended this back in 2000 and after vigorous opposition by [[Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association|AOPA]], the FAA declined to do so. Citing two recent accidents, one with a 121.5&nbsp;MHz ELT and one with a 406&nbsp;MHz ELT, the NTSB concludes that switching all ELTs to 406&nbsp;MHz is a necessary goal to work towards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=70|title=NTSB to FAA: Require 406 MHz ELTs {{pipe}} Doug Ritter's Equipped.org Blog}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2017|reason=Who is Doug Ritter? Some blogger?}}

[[NASA]] has conducted crash tests with small airplanes to investigate how ELTs perform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/langley/second-crash-test-harvests-valuable-data-to-improve-emergency-response|title=Second Crash Test Harvests Valuable Data to Improve Emergency Response|last=McDonald|first=Samuel|date=2015-07-29|publisher=NASA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NASA-Completes-ELT-Crash-Tests-224753-1.html|title=NASA Completes ELT Crash Tests|last=Kauh|first=Elaine|date=2015-08-26|publisher=AVweb}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|aFi0pLpq2OQ|NASA crash video}}</ref>