av8boy
that is exactly the kind of thinking that seems to be going away in modern piloting. I applaud you for reminding us all about those runways.
Many years ago, a route check included all the pieces of pavements or open areas where you could put down if you had to.
There is a certain mindset in getting to an airport served by company mx. And if you can, that's great.
No one is saying to give up on LAX if you can safely make it. But, and this is the big thing, if your plane is on fire, down and out can be a damn good thing.
I wonder how this would have all played out if the plane would have been another hour farther out.
I've had cabin smoke. We isolated it to one pack and continued to destination on the remaining pack. (at a lower altitude). There was no doubt that it was a bit of oil burning or a bad "sock" for those who know what that is. Upon landing we discovered that plus a clamp had come loose on the ductwork.