Capn Bloggs
Yeah - we know that.
But every aircraft has left a loadsheet behind, for the last 80 years.
And with modern comms, it is not difficult to get that information from the handling agent or airline.
(Who are not dealing with an engine fire...)
As for the ‘we need to turn’ call, it is natural to ask ATC for a turn, because only ATC know where all the other traffic is. The number of times a commercial pilot will tell ATC they are turning, can be counted on one hand in an entire career. Perhaps with a storm-cell ahead, or the like.
The request for an ATC-determined turn was natural and logical, and for ATC to then overload the pilots with a “which way” request was stupid in the extreme. The crew may not even instantly know where the airport is (it being behind them), nor where any prohibited areas, terrain restrictions, or conflicting traffic may be.
ATC should have kept things simple, and just given a normal traffic pattern back to the departure runway: “this will be a left-hand circuit for rwy 26”. And perhaps for reassurance added: “other options available, if you require”.
(Remember, the crew need to know the runway to set up the ILS - they don’t need a guessing-game for which approach, while dealing with an engine fire.)
Last edited by silverstrata; 21st Feb 2021 at 13:17.