From memory the investigators summize that the flight deck of SR 111 was uninhabitable after less than 11 minutes due to hot molten metal from the o/head panel falling down on the F/O's seat......if you take anything away from this tragedy take this..."when IT happens it will happen quick.....it will not be the drawn out process that we all go through every 6 months in the simulator"
This EK crew spend 8 minutes asking someone far removed from the problem for advice. Got to raise some questions in the least.
Furthermore, the SIN - DXB routing which passes overhead Madras involves some seriously large o/water distances........fortunately the smoke indication happened in the proximity of madras.......what if it had happened just west of Port Blair...or on the southern route which passes o/head Colombo to keep you out of the H/winds... where you are right on the edge of the 180 minute etops range.....a long way from the nearest peice of tarmac. Hear in lies the problem with pushing for greater etops distances........the engines may be sh1t hot but it isnt always an engine problem that forces the diversion.....the distance of which and thus by virtue the time to execute the diversion getting progressively longer as our regulatory authorities cave in to the demands of the number crunchers.