Look Beagle you talk a lot of sense on here so I dont want to fall out but.
Threats of opening fire on unarmed civilian vessels made on international distress frequencies are hardly 'mistakes' - they are cock-ups of the highest order.
No
actually opening fire would have been of the highest order. Selecting the wrong box to transmit on is really quite minor and a mistake which countless pilots do every year. Yes its embarrassing but no-one is really at any risk.