NOIP,
Although I might have put my case forward in a slightly flippant manner, as I am often want to do, I think you have missed my serious point.
To spell it out more succinctly, the punters are sick of hearing the "safety was never compromised" spin from QANTAS ... and many other Airlines.
When, obviously, safety was at risk.
You even state:
Whilst this scenario had the potential to have a significantly different outcome, it didn't.
Hindsight is a very useful tool, but, at the time ... there was the potential for things to go extremely pear shaped. And in my book, that is a safety issue.
And although wrestling a fully laden, structurally damaged, power deprived, fuel spewing monster back onto the ground is "just his job"... it doesn't make it any safer.
All I ask is that the Airlines acknowledge these situations.