Originally Posted by
georgeeipi
It's not "a stretch". It's an example of where you survive but with the wrong process. Then one day, applying the wrong process you, or someone else, may not survive. In the case of Port Phillip Bay there's a 3rd airport available and reduces risk to those below. If the mayday had been clearer ATC could have suggested Avalon as an alternative and then reduced the pilot's workload by providing all the info needed. As described elsewhere, one frequency change and a couple of radar vectors is all it would have taken. Notams, weather etc all would be taken care of by ATC and provided to the pilot. This continual resistance that it was all too hard for an experienced pilot is just baffling. Sorry, but I don't buy it.
The mayday seemed clear enough . It was issued on behalf of an aircraft that had gone down. ATC appears to have understood that, evidenced by issue of a non emergency transponder code.. The surviving aircraft’s pilot stated his intention to return to Essendon. Unless asked for advice, the last thing ATC would do is confuse the situation by suggesting alternatives, and ADDING to the pilot’s workload with additional frequency changes, notams, weather etc , neither needed nor called for.