On Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 12:05:08 AM UTC-5, Bill T wrote:
A SPOT transmits ever 5-10 minutes depending on how the owner sets it up. Even after a crash the spot should keep broadcasting its position. So yes, if moving it can be some distance from its last report, but then the next number of reports will be where the glider is. But someone needs to monitor the spot track or the pilot needs to be registered on the ssa web for spot tracking. Even then, no one may look at it until he is over due coming back. Spot and Delorme can have faster refresh rates.
BillT

A few observations. In a situation like this,SPOT will only broadcast its position if:
1. It is on and in track mode.
2. It is intact after the accident.
3. It can see the sky properly.

Joe did have his SPOT registered on the SSA page. The wonderful Press can't spell his name correctly, so if you looked on the registered trackers with his name spelled that way, you won't find him. And from what has been reported, the accident was within just a few miles of the last SPOT report, even though the previous report was 50 minutes prior to the last report (that whole, seeing the sky thing). There was not a series of reports from the same place, indicating the SPOT did not survive the crash.

Joe was a wonderful man and will be missed. He was a friend of my family for over 40 years. His wife, Jane, passed away a few years ago. One of my all-time favorite Jane and Joe stories was related by Jane of a typical landout. When she arrived with the trailer, Joe said "Oh, thank you again for coming to get me. I am amazed at how quickly you got here...." Then, as soon as the plane was in the trailer and they were in the car, Joe said, "Where is the map? There has to be a faster way back to the airport..."

Godspeed to you, Joe!

Steve Leonard