"Go and see if it is landable at XXXX" is a euphemism for busting minimas? In your fertile imagination pal, and nowhere else. Do we really have people flying public transport aircraft who read that sort of content into a plain language statement? What's the difficulty with finding it isn't landable and acting accordingly- that's your Professional responsibility isn't it?
When money is tight bosses have and will continue to ask pilots to do things that are illegal it happens, some pilots give in other do not. Just like some truckers will swap out a tacho and drive over hours others do not.
Judging by the weather report and knowing that the forecast was for the fog to lift and baring in mind the aircraft wasn't due out from Cork until late afternoon why didn't the pilot just stay in Belfast and wait? If the weather is cack leave it a while best to arrive late than not at all.
Did the crew have the proper rest period before they reported for duty?
I don't think the crew did their best as that would have been sit tight in Belfast until they know the fogs starting to lift and put some extra fuel in the tanks in case you have to return to Belfast.
Was the third approach we can't divert anywhere now we have to get in and was the reason for the flip that a donkey ran out of fuel and stopped?
The AAIU will get to the bottom of it and hopefully this will not be allowed to happen again and that all companies doing this sort of thing will have to get an AOC.