FAA Ground School Practice Test

Who is responsible for ensuring that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) is functional before a flight?

1. The flight crew

2. The aircraft manufacturer

3. Ground maintenance personnel

4. The air traffic controller

The correct answer is: The flight crew

The responsibility of ensuring that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) is functional before a flight primarily rests with the flight crew. The flight crew is tasked with pre-flight checks and inspections, which include confirming that critical safety equipment, such as the ELT, is operational. This is an essential part of their duties as it directly impacts the safety and survivability of the aircraft and its occupants in the event of an emergency. Pre-flight procedures often involve visual inspections and operational checks of emergency equipment, ensuring that everything is in working order before departure. The ELT serves as a crucial tool for search and rescue operations, so the flight crew must verify its functionality to guarantee that it can effectively transmit location signals if necessary. While ground maintenance personnel play a role in the overall maintenance and compliance of aircraft systems, the flight crew holds the final accountability for verifying the equipment’s readiness prior to takeoff. The aircraft manufacturer is responsible for designing and installing the systems, but it is not their duty to check functionality before each flight. Air traffic controllers, meanwhile, do not have any operational responsibilities regarding the aircraft's equipment but focus on the safe management of air traffic.