What if - ?
I know the subject is being thrashed to death, but a question occurred to me:
What if this had been JL or CX westbound? If they elected to continue (no probs with obstacles...) what would FAA do?
FWIW, a SR DC-10 had a similar hiccup out of KHI 28 years ago, and the Capt. considered it safer to press on up the Gulf than to fly an OEI approach at KHI at 2AM local. He finally landed at ATH after daybreak. Although the Swiss authorities quizzed him thoroughly, in the end they found no fault with his decisions.