Hmmm...must have gotten my infos wrong...thanks for the correction JC.
I think the decision was made on a 50-50 basis. When the odds are like this, always better to be safe than sorry. You would even have higher odds of winning in Bacarrat...and that's in a casino!
D6, one thing that you have to realize is that when accidents like this happen (no fatalities), it is best, for the sake of national interest, that these things are kept as low key as possible. It actually helps that there are no fatalities because the media doesn't really find this enticing, and the story will actually end up as a small heading near column 4 on page 13 in a major newspaper.
The 320 in Bacolod got some media attention because of some ground fatalities, but that didn't last too long in the national limelight. The accidents of Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific lasted awhile with the media because of the tragic occurances (may they rest in peace), but it was all the way in Mindanao. But take the accident of Laoag Airlines...a number of fatalities...in Manila Bay and in early morning while there still an "Eye in the Sky" flying around...compounded by the nosing around of some prominent politicians in Laoag, and the setting up of a "Fact-finding Commision" (don't really know if this was done in accordance to ICAO Annex 13)...and what have you got...the perfect scenerio that the media can simply "vulture" on.
So in the end, when you weigh the pros and cons of an incident or accident, and whether it's a cover-up or not by the airline, the government, or individuals...the best thing is to always keep the Riding Public in mind. As JC has mentioned, what would the public think if they knew what really happens in accidents. Investigation of accidents is not to punish individuals who are at fault, but to determine the causes, find solutions to prevent future occurences, and maybe implement new and more stringent policies to ensure safety. Although the public has the right to know causes, I am quite sure (and this includes other countries as well) that goverments try as much as possible to keep the public in the dark. As the saying goes, "What you don't know won't hurt you".
Just my two cents.