Miserlou,
It also doesn't take a genius to read their Jepps and see that an MDA is a Minimum Descent Altitude (a hard limitation not to be violated unless visual) and NOT a Decision Altitude, which pertains to a Precision approach.
The decision to land or go around durning a NPA is based upon either being at or above the minima (MDA) and either being visual and able to make the landing, or not.
Don't mix the two up.
Regardless of whether the approach is flown with a constant rate of descent or 'dive and drive', I repeat, the MDA is a 'hard' limitation and should not be violated if not visual - period. The definition is pretty specific, and not open to interpretation.
Personally, I find it a sham that 'senior pilots' like these guys are flying transport category aircraft and are unable, or unwilling to, discern this very basic concept, whose definition is freely and clearly available.
And I bet that Pittsle is having a hard time trying to convince these guys that this is an unsafe practice.
My apologies if i seem atop a high horse, but please, this is pretty basic, yet dangerous, stuff to be anything but cruystal clear about.
Good luck, Pittsle.