"Dave Butler" wrote in message
news:1115991200.117778@sj-nntpcache-5...
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:hHVge.1396$Ld4.1339@trndny04...

Jay Honeck wrote:

I hadn't heard this -- was their radio inop?

I heard that on NPR yesterday, but I just saw a post tonight in which
someone said they called the fighters after they were intercepted.

Thier radio was NOT inop. They played the tapes on NBC news last night.

I didn't hear the tapes, but I read the CNN interview with the interceptor
pilot who said that they did communicate on 121.5.

speculation
We all know what the radios tend to be like in 40 year old C150s in the
rental fleet. Could be the radios were good enough to talk to an
interceptor that's dropping flares in front of you, but bad enough to
discourage you from trying to get enroute VFR advisories.
/speculation


The tapes I heard were ATC-to-Airborne Idiot and were quite clear.