A detailed examination of the information available on the day would be required before commenting on the Go/Nogo decision made by the student and confirmed by the instructor. Consequently, I will not comment on that.
The authorisation was to complete a triangular route from A to B to C and back to A. Furthermore, the student was authorised during the flight to make a full stop landing at B, C and A.
I would not consider, the act of overflying B without landing a breach of the authorisation. To take such as a breach of the authorisation, would be akin to making a case where the student deviated by more than 1 or 2 miles from the planned track to be a breach of the authorisation.
Had the flight been planned with X as an alternate for B, and the aircraft have diverted to X or any field other than C or A then the student should have been told to contact the instructor before making a further flight. This is because X was not on the expected normal route.
Having said that, the student should not have considered the option of flying from C to B without discussing the flight with an instructor as this clearly was not authorised.
As instructors we have to balance safety with the unsafe practice of placing extra perceived pressure on students to complete the exact plan because diverting from the plan is clearly wrong regardless!!!!
The requirement is to complete a triangular route with two intermediate landings. Unless this is done then the requirement has not been met. Bending the rules.....either by the training organisation or by the CAA gives a clear message to a student that it is OK to bend the rules in certain situations........Is that really the message that the CAA wants to pass on?
To use extra hassle and expense as a reason for bending the rules clearly gives the wrong signal to a new pilot who may make a similar decision later in life with fatal consequences.
The mesage must be loud and clear......diverting because of poor weather was and always will be a good decision and that decision to act must not be clouded by time or hassle or peer or money pressures.
From the other side, the bending of the rules as described above can leave the industry open to the situation where pilots do two "there and back" routes to get two signatures because they are unable to navigate a triangle!
Regards,
DFC