On 2004-08-13, Joseph Nebus wrote:

(They recorded several possible ``observing natural events''
openers, on the assumption that *sometime* during the flight there'd be
fires in California or a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico or so.)

Unfortunately I don't find a reference offhand ... but it is one
of the greater space pranks played.

Skylab 2, apparently. Somehow, tihs does not surprise me...

"On day 45 of the flight, ground control was startled when a female
voice replied to their call. The mystified capcom continued the
conversation for some time before realising that Garriot had
pre-recorded a dialogue with his wife before the mission..."

http://www.astronautix.com/articles/spaedout.htm

--
-Andrew Gray