Why Did My Spider Generate A False SOS?

If you received an SOS alert but there was no emergency, it almost always comes down to one of two causes:

1. Watch mode ended unexpectedly (power loss or shutdown before Watch was turned off).

2. The red SOS button was pressed (intentionally or by mistake).

Use the checks below to confirm what happened and prevent it in future.

Who this is for

Operators, pilots, and administrators using Spidertracks Spiders with Emergency Management (SOS) and Watch.

Quick checks

• Look at the aircraft status colour. A blue status indicates Watch is active during a flight.

• Check for long gaps between points. Large gaps can indicate GPS or power interruptions which can trigger SOS when in Watch mode.

• Ask the pilot what they saw. Especially whether Watch was on, and if/when it was turned off.

Note: On older Spiders and Keypad: Ensure the blue/Watch LED has finished flashing before shutting the unit down.

Cause 1: Watch ended unexpectedly (power or shutdown issue)

This happens when the Spider is set to Automated Watch (or the pilot manually enabled Watch) and the device loses power or is shut down before Watch is turned off.

What to verify

1. Was Automated Watch enabled? Confirm in your Spider’s reporting settings.

2. Was Watch manually started? If Automated Watch wasn’t enabled but the track is blue, the pilot may have pressed the Watch button during the flight.

3. Any long reporting gaps? Investigate for:

   • Power issues (intermittent or loose connections, cigar plug vs hard‑wired).

   • GPS signal blockage (objects placed on/near the Spider, cockpit placement, electrically heated windows).

Ask the pilot

• Did they turn off Watch at the end of the flight?

• (Older models) Did the blue LED stop flashing before shutdown?

Cause 2: The SOS button was pressed

If the pilot pressed the red SOS button, determine why:

• Was there an emergency that resolved quickly?

• Was it an accidental press? (e.g., bumping the unit or reaching for controls)

Prevent repeat occurrences

• Review cockpit placement and anything that could contact the SOS button.

• Reinforce pre‑ and post‑flight checks around Watch and SOS use within your team.

Information to gather for Support

Providing the details below will help us diagnose and resolve the alert faster:

• Spider serial number and the assigned aircraft.

• Photos of the installation and mounting/placement of the Spider in the cockpit.

• Power connection type: hard‑wired or cigar plug.

• Connection integrity: confirm leads and plugs are secure at both the aircraft and device.

• Other devices in the cockpit: any GPS units or sat phones in use.

• LED behaviour: did any LEDs remain lit continuously or behave unusually?

• Aircraft details: type/model and whether it has electrically heated windows.

• Anything placed on/near the Spider during the flight.

• Summary from the pilot: whether Watch was on, if it was turned off, and any power/GPS issues observed.
  
  

Prevention tips

• Always turn off Watch before shutting down the aircraft and Spider.

• Ensure power connections are secure; avoid loose or intermittent cigar‑plug connections.

• Mount the Spider with a clear sky view; avoid placing objects on or near the device.

• Be mindful of electrical heated windows and other cockpit materials that can attenuate GPS.

• Brief pilots on correct Watch/SOS procedures and how to recognise LED states (especially on older units).
  
  

Need help?

If you’d like us to investigate an SOS alert, email [e-mail] with the information above. We’re here to help.