but would really need to refer to all the various ACs
One can't make much sense of the FARs in isolation without poring over the associated ACs and other bits and pieces .. It's not necessary to observe the AC words .. but only a chap with lots of time and, probably, money on his hands would bother getting into the ensuing arguments .. far easier to take the simple road.
Now that Zzuf has chosen to disclose his background, there are other threads in PPRuNe on the narrow runway saga which flesh some things out a tad more .. Interestingly, his FTE offsider at the time, having gone off to play with B777 and like toys for however long, is back in-house and looks after this stuff in the present world.