The Tool Desk
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What information can point rescuers toward a missing aircraft?
There are three distinct sources of location information. They work at different moments and should not be confused with one another.
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| Source | When it can help | How it contributes | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine aircraft tracking | During normal operations, including before an emergency | Provides automated position reports that help establish the aircraft’s track and last known position. | It is not necessarily a live distress track or the final position. |
| Autonomous distress tracking (ADT) | During a distress event, potentially before impact | Transmits position-determinable information so rescuers can follow the aircraft’s progress in distress. | Availability depends on the aircraft’s equipment and applicable requirements. |
| Emergency locator transmitter (ELT) | After activation, including after an accident | A 406 MHz beacon can send an alert for satellite detection and location; some ELTs also transmit a local homing signal. | Beacon capability and alert information vary, and detection does not by itself coordinate the rescue response. |
ICAO describes ordinary aircraft tracking as automated four-dimensional position reporting—latitude, longitude, altitude, and time—at intervals of 15 minutes or less. That is a maximum reporting interval for the tracking function, not the update rate for distress tracking. ICAO’s GADSS overview describes the broader system’s objectives, including distress detection and tracking, accurate end-of-flight location, and effective search-and-rescue operations.
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1. Establish the last known position
Rescuers and investigators first assemble available position reports and information held by the aircraft operator or air traffic services. The latest routine report gives a starting point, not necessarily the aircraft’s final location. Its usefulness depends on when it was received and what occurred after that report.
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2. Check for distress-tracking updates
Where an aircraft is equipped for ADT, its distress transmissions can add position updates during an emergency. ICAO’s provisions specify at least one position-determinable transmission per minute for a defined category of aeroplanes; they do not apply to every aircraft. ICAO also describes ELT(DT) systems that can activate in flight when preset conditions indicate imminent danger, sending distress information before impact.
For the specified class of aeroplanes over 27,000 kg whose individual certificate of airworthiness was first issued on or after 1 January 2024, ICAO’s Annex 6 Amendment 48 guidance applies an ADT requirement from 1 January 2025. Whether a particular aircraft is covered or fitted with a system must be established from the applicable rules and aircraft documentation. ICAO’s ADT guidance sets out the defined scope.
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3. Detect and route an ELT alert
An activated 406 MHz ELT can send a distress alert for satellite detection. The Cospas-Sarsat system detects and processes beacon alert and location information, then distributes it to search-and-rescue authorities. ICAO describes the system as satellite-based distress-alert detection and distribution; an ICAO-hosted technical paper says MEOSAR provides near-real-time worldwide coverage and independent beacon location. ICAO’s ELT guidance and the ICAO-hosted MEOSAR paper describe these roles.
Frequency matters. ICAO says ELTs typically broadcast on 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz, and some also transmit at 243 MHz. The global Cospas-Sarsat system cannot detect 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz beacons. A 121.5 MHz signal may instead serve as a final local homing signal for nearby search assets. It is not the satellite alert channel.
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4. Make distress-tracking data available through LADR
ICAO’s Location of an Aircraft in Distress Repository (LADR) is intended to make position information from autonomous distress-tracking systems available to appropriate organizations designated by the operator’s state. ICAO announced in November 2025 that ADT data from aircraft worldwide was being fed into LADR through a technical connection involving EUROCONTROL and the French Mission Control Centre. ICAO’s LADR page explains the repository, while its November 2025 announcement describes that deployment connection. LADR is a data repository: it does not dispatch aircraft or ships, and its existence does not mean that data is available for every aircraft.
5. Coordinate the maritime response
Rescue coordination authorities use incoming alerts and position information to organize the response for the relevant area, including coordination with neighboring authorities and participating assets when needed. The International Maritime Organization’s SAR Convention overview describes an international framework for coordination and cooperation between national SAR organizations. Which center leads, which assets respond, and what search pattern is selected are incident-specific decisions; the general framework does not establish those details for a particular disappearance.
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Why an alert may not identify the exact crash site
A search begins with the best location information available, which may be an earlier routine report, a distress-track update, or a beacon alert. These are not interchangeable: a routine report may precede an emergency, ADT may provide updates during distress if the aircraft is equipped, and a beacon alert depends on activation and the beacon’s capabilities.
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- Timing: a last reported position identifies where the aircraft was when that report was made, not necessarily where it ended up.
- Equipment: tracking and beacon capabilities differ by aircraft; a system’s presence and operation cannot be assumed.
- Signal path: 406 MHz satellite alerts and 121.5 MHz local homing have different purposes and reach.
- Data access: LADR is meant for designated organizations, and it does not guarantee that every aircraft’s distress data is available.
For a specific incident, only records from the responsible rescue coordination center, aviation authority, and investigation body can establish the actual alert path, response, or search-area decisions. General system descriptions cannot establish the search geometry or duration for an individual case.
Beacon handling and false alerts
ICAO says ELT maintenance belongs in the aircraft maintenance program and warns that accidental operational activation can trigger false SAR alerts. Beacon installation, maintenance, handling, and testing should follow applicable procedures; an ELT should not be activated or tested casually.
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