Lets ask the question shall we....
if you were owner of the aircraft
...and he was in it as we all know.!....the instructor was "apparently told by the student, its not aproved in the flight manual sir!"
would this highly experienced pilot and long time ATO do anything do jeopordise the acft which happens to be owned by the guy sitting to the right of him?.....i feel some how there is more to the story. but hey unless we get the two involved around for a beer together (maybe now unlikely
) we will never know, as i heard there will be no formal investigation..