Actually the Continental crew could have made life much easier for themselves if they had turned 20° to the left and avoided Russ Hill.
We've had this conversation before but the problem was that the FAA would not allow an emergency turn within the net flight path whereas the CAA allowed such a manoeuvre provided that the bank angle did not exceed 15°. (To those of you who don't know what the net flight path is it is that portion of the flight that extends from an engine failure at V1 to 1500 feet above datum).
This meant that UK operators could come out of LGW on Runway 26 at much higher gross weights than their American brothers.
Nevertheless, I have often wondered what the conversation on the flight deck must have been like.
"Holy sh*t Al, we are going to get really close to that hill".
"Yeah but we are not allowed to turn to avoid it!"
It's a bit like saying "I don't mind dying but I would as sure as hell hate to lose my licence!"