The Aviation Advertiser, in its article 'CASA revives a dead dog', makes mention of the ELT (fixed), which apparently gave one squawk and then quit, hmm that far overwater (if it was me) I'd be carrying, or have very close to me, one of those PLBs!
The ATSB’s report on the Norfolk Island ditching accident adds a real-time account that puts the realities of ELTs into further perspective:
The aircraft was fitted with a 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT), which was designed to transmit a distress signal that could be received by a satellite. The ELT could be manually activated by a switch in the cockpit, and it would also activate automatically if the aircraft was subjected to g-forces consistent with an aircraft accident.
The aircraft was also equipped with four personal locator beacons (PLBs) that could be carried separately and manually activated. Two of these beacons were installed in the life rafts, and one of the remaining beacons was equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment, which would enable it to transmit its position when it was activated. The aircraft occupants were unable to retrieve any of the PLBs before they exited the aircraft after the ditching.
The aircraft-mounted ELT was not GPS-equipped. A geostationary satellite received one transmission from that ELT and the information associated with that transmission was received by Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) 38 8 minutes after the aircraft ditched. AusSAR was able to identify the owner of the ELT, but was not able to assess its location from the one transmission.
Obviously the single transmission was impact-activated; however it seems probable that the airframe damage caused the antenna or its connecting lead to fail after that first transmission.
Lady Luck was very definitely on the side of the crew and pax!
CASA revives a dead dog – opinion – aviationadvertiser.com.au