The wording of the EU 261 article is such that airlines have been given a lot of leeway in avoiding paying out compensation, or so it seems. Judgements like the ones mentioned above are what really defines where the boundaries are. So while it seems harsh, a judge stating that crew incapacitation is a reasonable thing to expect from time to time means that compensation much be paid out. The airline can hedge their bets and position spare crew at many stations, but that costs them money, so they accept the risk. What is a bit of a nuisance is many airlines defaulting to 'it's an extraordinary circumstance' instead of just paying out the compensation. Just my two cents.