Perusing the Gary Parata article I find this quite suprising.
" Consider this exchange:
Time 0039:49 Having a bit of radio trouble at the moment
Have you got the squelch off?
Clearance to go down.
Say again?
Have you got the squelch off on that?
Time 0039:58 Yes, on both.
This exchange showed that the crew were actively troubleshooting the reasons why short-range VHF communications from “Ice Tower” 8 were not being received. The crew were utilising their wealth of knowledge and experience to resolve the anomaly. The words are clear and unambiguous, and were signed off unanimously by the CVR Group as having definitely been spoken."
Wealth of knowledge to ask if the squelch was off???
One would have thought that the wealth of knowledge would be trying to ascertain why there was no radar contact, no DME lock on, no VHF contact from a station that was, if they were where they thought they were, no more than, how many miles away???, over flat ice.