February 1, 2010: Malfunctioning TV Sends Signal of Satellites, Alerts CAP

Image by Zellaby via Flickr

On this date in 2010, a man's malfunctioning TV set caused a full-scale beacon search, complete with the Civil Air Patrol knocking on his front door.

An excerpt from the New York Times:

It may be that many people, staring blankly from their sofas into the empty, late-night flicker of their televisions, are in need of rescuing. Few, though, would expect a TV -- or a garage door opener, or a photocopier -- to issue a cry for help.  Early last month, Chris van Rossman's television silently began to malfunction, emitting a signal that bounced off two satellites, alerted personnel at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, and ultimately led a team of local sheriff's deputies and Civil Air Patrol volunteers to the door of his apartment in Corvallis, Ore. 

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