I hold B707 Command rating, FEO rating and eng/airframe licences on this type.
Fair enough, I do not. When the explanation was sought as the to the reason for asking for "below 10,000 feet" for a half an hour after takeoff, and routing to accommodate that, that was the explanation given to ATC, whose department head told me. I knew the crew involved, and knew them to be resourceful and motivated to minimize the effect of an omission, but I did not fact check the report myself. As a very junior staff member at the time, my prying into the details of what had been reported would have been inappropriate, so I accepted as reported....