Whoops on 121.5!

[FrensicPic]

Heard on 121.5 "guard" frequency...an American Airlines pilot thinking he was on the cabin PA system describing their flight from LAX to DFW! "Sit back and enjoy the flight and thanks for flying American"! He did say he was turning off the seat belt sign.

Like they say, "stuff" happens!

 

[kf4uuz]

We are human. All of us screw up once in a while.

 

[jmhayes]

I hear this kind of thing a lot, and usually what happens next is hilarious: a dozen or so other pilots chime in with "Thanks, Cap'n!" or "Can you get me a cup of coffee while you're at it?" etc. Then the guy who realizes he made the mistake comes on and says "it's been a long flight" or similar

 

[robertmac]

Happens fairly frequently and not just on 121.5.

 

[W8RMH]

It could have been a lot worse, like talking on the PA instead of the radio. Imagine every passenger hearing the pilot say "We have a fire light in the cargo bay and will need emergency equipment standing by."

 

[Michael-SATX]

Yeah, we sure wouldn't want air travel to start sounding like Carnival Cruise Lines
Marine Emergency CH-16 156.8000 FM must get interesting as well sometimes.
As for 121.5000 this thread would explain why I hear non emergency traffic quite often.
Does anybody hear acidental non emergency use of AirEmergency-UHF 243.0000 AM ?

 

[KB1UAM]

Yeah, we sure wouldn't want air travel to start sounding like Carnival Cruise Lines
Marine Emergency CH-16 156.8000 FM must get interesting as well sometimes.
As for 121.5000 this thread would explain why I hear non emergency traffic quite often.
Does anybody hear acidental non emergency use of AirEmergency-UHF 243.0000 AM ?

I actually heard a coast guard helicopter testing with my local tower yesterday both on 121
.5 and the tower specifically asked if they have access to "243?" The tower said it just like that

 

[Avery93]

Yeah, we sure wouldn't want air travel to start sounding like Carnival Cruise Lines
Marine Emergency CH-16 156.8000 FM must get interesting as well sometimes.
As for 121.5000 this thread would explain why I hear non emergency traffic quite often.
Does anybody hear acidental non emergency use of AirEmergency-UHF 243.0000 AM ?

Activity on 243.0 is pretty rare, at least in my area. The only traffic I have heard on this frequency is a few (< 10) radio checks.

121.5 is a completely different story, however. I hear accidental transmissions like the OP described, pilots goofing off, and even someone playing music and/or sound effects at least once a day. Only once have I heard an actual emergency handled on this frequency.

 

[nr2d]

I think since 9/11 all commercial aircraft are required to leave 1 radio on 121.5. What I have been told this is so that if ATC looses contact with an aircraft on the normal ATC frequencies they can try to raise them on 151.5.

 

[Rick1959]

I have frequently monitored Gander, Shannon, NY etc., on the HF aero bands request one a/c to hail another on VHF Guard, because they can't make contact. Usually, it's because the one a/c is sitting on the wrong frequency on one of their radio's. Since VHF Guard is always at least supposed to be monitored, it's the best way to get in contact with the other a/c. Not a data guy so I can't say why they wouldn't use ACARS or CPDLC to raise the a/c. Possibly, someone with more expertise in this area can answer that question.

 

[ShyFlyer]

I think since 9/11 all commercial aircraft are required to leave 1 radio on 121.5

It's been a very common practice for a long time before 9/11 as well, since ELT beacons also transmit on the frequency. Those beacons are being phased out in favor of the 406 variety, but with air intercepts presumably more likely post 9/11, that's the freq that will be used by the intercepting aircraft to make contact.

Not a data guy so I can't say why they wouldn't use ACARS or CPDLC to raise the a/c.

The aircraft may not have that equipment installed or functioning.

 

[ab3a]

It's been a very common practice for a long time before 9/11 as well, since ELT beacons also transmit on the frequency. Those beacons are being phased out in favor of the 406 variety, but with air intercepts presumably more likely post 9/11, that's the freq that will be used by the intercepting aircraft to make contact.

While flying on an IFR flight plan. I was contacted on 121.5 when a very busy (and frazzled) controller in the Seymour Johnson MOA forgot to hand me off to Washington Center. Someone called me on 121.5 and I resumed my flight plan with Washington Center. This sort of thing happens frequently.

I am pretty sure that if you fly anywhere within 60 nm of Washington DC, you are required to monitor 121.5 among many other things.

And yes, the intercoms and radio controls can get complex at times, so it is not uncommon to have busy airline pilots push the wrong button at times.

 

[coldbricks]

A few weeks ago, there was an unknown ELT broadcasting constantly in the area in the Adirondacks near Garnet Lake. I heard ZBW contact A/C flying over that area (mostly en route to EWR from Europe who use the ALB VOR. That traffic goes right over the Lake George area) to say advise you have the ELT, and to monitor 121.5MHz. A lot of them did hear that, and ZBW made a sort of 'announcement' on that sector on freq every hour or so they were monitoring an ELT...I don't know if they ever found out what it was, or when it stopped, but it was very interesting. In all honestly, it was probably just some small A/C on one of the lakes up there with the ELT blaring. But it was very mysterious, and I don't know what they ever found of it. They had hundreds of commercial NYC-bound (i.e, large, international!) flight crews looking for anything on the ground. Something you don't see or hear everyday.