Captain. That's a new one on me. If Flight Service could operate this way why didn't they suggest to the pilot on that night that he communicate directly to the radar controller for advice.
And why didn't the independent investigator mention this?
Sounds like a furphy to me!
Dick, I can assure you, from someone who knows, that Flight Service routinely handed aircraft off to Control, for assistance. Usually, a radar vector or two and it was all over and the aircraft returned to Flight Service frequencies and went merrily on its way.
However, even the best radar in the world does not a mind reader make !
Such radar assistance can't be given until Airservices is made aware of a problem...or until it becomes bleeding obvious.
I don't know the full details of this case, however, merely changing track or diverting OCTA does not, in itself, warrant the call to battle stations. It's an everyday occurrence.