AFTER LNDG; THE PLT OF A PIPER PA28 FOUND THAT THE ACFT'S ELT (EMER LOCATOR XMITTER) WAS IN THE ON POS; OFF ITS MOUNTING; AND HANGING BY ITS WIRES OVER THE ACFT CTL CABLES.

Narrative

I PREFLTED AND TOOK OFF ON A VFR FLT FROM N99 TO PNE. DURING MY RUNUP; I NOTICED A SOUND ON THE RADIO THAT I THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELT; BUT I HAD NEVER HEARD ONE BEFORE; SO I WASN'T SURE. I CHKED THE ELT SWITCH BY THE L SEAT ANYWAY. DID NOT THINK TO LISTEN ON 121.5. SINCE I ONLY HEARD IT WHILE OTHER PLTS WERE XMITTING; I FIGURED IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAD MAYBE BOUNCED A LNDG AND SET THEIR ELT OFF. AS I FLEW TOWARDS PNE; I BECAME CONVINCED IT WAS ME; BECAUSE IT GOT NO FAINTER AS I FLEW ON. WHEN I LANDED AT PNE; IT WAS ESPECIALLY LOUD ON GND 121.7; BUT NOT AUDIBLE WHEN ATC XMITTED. AFTER I PARKED; I CHKED AND STILL HEARD IT ON 121.5 ON MY HANDHELD; SO I OPENED THE ELT ACCESS PANEL; AND FOUND THE ELT OFF ITS MOUNT; DANGLING BY ITS WIRES ON THE CTL CABLES. I WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE PLANE THERE AND GET A RIDE HOME; BUT AFTER LOOKING UP THE FARS; I FIGURED IT WAS OK TO FLY IT HOME AFTER REMOVING THE ELT AND REPLACING THE ACCESS PANEL; AS LONG AS I PLACARDED THE PANEL AND LET SOMEONE KNOW MY PLANNED FLT PATH. I DID NOT PUT A NOTE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK BECAUSE IT WAS BACK AT N99 LOCKED UP IN THE FBO.