If someone accuses them of undercover industrial action, all they have to say is: "Oh, no! We just don't want to go to jail, that's all"
Exactly. The real issue here from a risk management point of view is not the need for a case study. The real issue is the much broader issue of what role does the
criminal law play in airline safety.
My perspective is that criminal charges should only be filed in the most obvious and most egregious cases. Good judges don't necessarily think like good pilots. I don't think passengers want a lawyer on the flight deck; they want someone to fly the plane.
So the question in my mind has never been whether he's 'guilty' or not. The question in my mind has been whether or not his behavior, even if assumed to be wrong, rises to the level of criminal conduct. And if it does, I think that is chilling for decision making and undermines the large goal of getting people safely from A to B.