Episode
399 Crash Survival: How Pilots Can Be Found Faster with Cyriel Kronenberg + GA News
- Published
- Sep 8, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 3718
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Summary
Max talks with Cyriel Kronenberg , Vice President of Airports and Air Traffic Management at uAvionix and a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol's National Radar Analysis Team (NRAT) , about one of aviation's most overlooked safety questions: if you survive a crash, how quickly will you be found? How Long Searches Take Cyriel explains that while ADS-B has shortened search times, the reality is sobering. Without a flight plan, overdue aircraft may not even be reported missing for hours. Average search times have historically stretched from 18 hours with a VFR flight plan to more than 60 hours with no plan at all. Even today, two to three hours is considered fast for locating a downed aircraft. ELTs: The Critical Difference Cyriel stresses the enormous difference between old 121.5 MHz ELTs and modern 406 MHz beacons . The older units provide only a vague signal and are prone to false alarms, often ignored. A properly registered 406 beacon, by contrast, transmits GPS coordinates via satellite, dramatically reducing search times. But here's the catch: as many as half are mis-registered, with outdated or missing phone numbers. That makes even the best ELT nearly useless until rescuers conduct a blind search. Flight Plans, Contacts, and ADS-B Filing a flight plan helps, but only if searchers can reach someone who knows your intended route. Cyriel urges pilots to list an emergency contact not on the aircraft in the remarks section—ideally a spouse, friend, or FBO. While apps like ForeFlight allow pilots to enter contact details, those aren't passed to the FAA. ADS-B provides an even bigger safety net: an aircraft with ADS-B out can usually be pinpointed within yards, while non-equipped aircraft may take days to locate. Survival Lessons Cyriel shares personal changes he's made a…