Originally Posted by Say again s l o w l y
Nobody would ever say that [once the doors are closed the captain can over ride whatever rules he wishes], but where do you draw the line?
A good starting point would be whether said action enhances the chances of the flight making it to the destination in one piece. IIRC Al Haynes on is DC10 flight into Sioux City got a suitable qualified pax up onto the flight deck to assist. There was no criticism of him - and even with the changes of rules since then, I'm firmly of the opinion his invitation woould be deemed wholly appropriate.
If Pablo's sidestick was stuck and the presence of Mr Savage to give it a good penalty kick to get it moving again was needed then fair enough - but otherwise exactly how did his presence on the flightdeck help ensure safe passage of the flight in question?
The rules are there, Pablo broke them, he got caught, had no justification - end of story.