Compressor Stall,
Loved that story!
To some of the others, we are talking about trainees here, so what experience do they have to assess the risk, and did they have any say in it anyway? You bet that the engine knows not night or day, nor water or land, however if it does stop your chances at night, over water are pretty bloody dim. As some have pointed out chances of it failing are slim, but if it does the consequences are monumental.
I can recall my former CFI, a very well regarded Dutchman doing my NVMC rating, who hated flying at night. I don't recall him saying anything positive about it. I did a lot of NVMC in singles in the 80s in the Kimberly and S/E IFR night out of Jandakot and actually liked it, but I was young and bloody dumb. I would never choose to do that again, spent too much time in multi-engine turbines and jets to even consider it anymore. I think it's likely that those who look upon it as dumb, have moved on from that flying and see the risk with different eyes.