No it doesn't make a lot of sense, but note that a PASSENGER activated the beacon and that passenger may have not been under the control of the pilot. A single pilot sits up the front well away from the passengers. In the mean time one of the passengers is calling up the Virgin AMCO office for assistance and the others who knows, perhaps activating their ELT.
Following a request from ATC at 1336, someone on board UXG activated a personal locator
See above.
The PLB also produced an ultra high frequency (UHF) 406 MHz digital beacon that was received by SAR satellites, and an audible tone that could be heard in the background of some of the radio calls made by the pilot of UXG.
It would not be unexpected that a portable PLB could be heard through a transmission from an Icom 210's transmissions due to the proximity of the transmitter aerial. I know that my PLB interferes with my VHF when in test mode.
At about 1357 the pilot of the SAR helicopter requested via relay
through the pilot of another aircraft that the pilot of UXG change from 129.0 MHz to 121.5 MHz.
It does seem strange that 21 minutes after the beacon is activated that SAR would request the pilot to change to 121.5.....
The pilot of UXG reportedly confirmed the frequency change and the crew of a commercial flight later reported to ATC that they had received a transmission from UXG on 121.5 MHz. The SAR elicopter continued to receive the PLB tone on 121.5 MHz but no voice transmissions.
As expected really.
Perhaps this is why the AMSA / SAR review is happening... maybe they realised that their response was incorrect on this occasion (purely based on what I'm reading)