[andyk]

What’s the real-world, legitimate reason for a commercial pilot having the ability to disable a plane’s transponder and/or communication systems?

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

“What’s the real-world, legitimate reason for a commercial pilot having the ability to disable a plane’s transponder and/or communication systems?”

You would need to disable the transponder because:

1. It is sending out the wrong code.
2. It is encoding the wrong altitude
3. It is shorting and is a potential source of fire.

Disable the communications:

1. Source of shorting and a potential source of fire.

That’s all I can think of regarding the comm.