The underlying question would be pretty straightforward: Was there a threat - and if so, was it justified to wait for 5 hours to divert because the decision was so difficult to make?
We dont know if the decision (whatever it was) was "so difficult to make".
I dont believe it has to be a "threat" in an immediate and direct sense.
If the purser was being insubordinate or 'coping an attitude' he could fairly decide,
"I want her off this plane. Once having decided that, he could implement that decision whenever he chooses to." behavior like that is poisonous and contagious. Kicking her off in their point of origin could have led her to to "take the crew with her" - In the US, not so big a deal. -who knows?
He is still subject to review, as all judges are.
I think - and I do - that it is quite interesting that an on board dispute is getting as much attention as a fatal RPT accident.
Interesting, but not in the least surprising, conjuring up as it has, visions of mutiny, pilots run amok.
I do know that if there have been issues 'simmering' with the crew and the captain did what he did, even as SLF i would be behind the capt. 100% as he did his true prime directive, which was to get me from point A to point B safely.
If the captain had erred into a runway incursion or some other incident and the inquiry turned up 4 days of passive aggressive laden BS goading him to distraction as a contributory cause, every one would have been saying, you should have "Tossed the b** off with or without parachute!"
- everyone...ok a lot -of us have this purser up as some kind of 'Mother Theresa' and that she may be, but I dont buy it. "Miss Congeniality" plays well only for Sandra Bullock.
I suspect that the REAL issue for the pilot's career is not so much the diversion (and UA's position on that) but
any declaration he made to the TSA /Federal authorites/FAA regarding the whole incident.
UA would then have it a lot easier as they wouldn't have to do much from their end, just allow the FAA to throw the book at him, then say, "<shrug> our hands are tied...we have to let you go!
"
overall, the whole thing has me quite sad, really.
