Originally Posted by
JPL9869
Transponder codes are assigned such that it is very difficult to accidentally squak a distress code.
Which is exactly why this story smells rotten. I've never had a squawk code anywhere near 7xxx. Usually 0xxx through 6xxx, and even getting something in the 6xxx range is rare. As they probably punch the numbers in on a keypad (as opposed to the old transponders where you dial each digit in), I guess any squawk code could have been fat fingered to be 7500 though.