[ARCADIA]

refused to converse by radio? Now, that's ominous...

Not at all...he was probably just tuned to the wrong frequency.

Small airplanes are not like airliners. They have only very basic instrumentation and the pilots are often inexperienced. The guy probably had a gyro compass, a radio direction finder, a radio and a paper chart. It is not a very sophisticated system. He is flying VFR, is not in direct radio contact with any flight control center, and it is easy to go astray.

[Mamzelle]

I'd think the Wash Monument might provide a clue for poor little blacksheep who've gone "astray."

It's beginning to look like a deliberate stunt.

[superfries]

should have been up on T/R guard at a minimum

[LukeSW]

refused to converse by radio? Now, that's ominous...

Not at all...he was probably just tuned to the wrong frequency.

Small airplanes are not like airliners. They have only very basic instrumentation and the pilots are often inexperienced. The guy probably had a gyro compass, a radio direction finder, a radio and a paper chart. It is not a very sophisticated system. He is flying VFR, is not in direct radio contact with any flight control center, and it is easy to go astray.

Correctamundo!! With some small planes, most people here have no idea how likely it is for the pilot of a small plane to be off frequency, or have a broken radio, or misdial the squelch control and then get off frequency since no one is talking to him!! Happens all the time folks. The PARANOIA about a small plane, a plane, a plane ... is so comical its sad... The media feeds it, the malleable masses believe it and pretty soon everyone is a aeronautical Luddite!!