I'm afraid this notion of passengers expecting compensation when murphy worms his way into aircraft systems really grinds at me... It is just the nature of the business. Often times it's hard enough to make the decision to keep an aircraft on the ground... we don't need the added threat of litigation to sway the minds of "production managers" who already too often push for wrong decisions.
I have to disagree, the nature of the industry has nothing to do with not receiving a product you payed for and did not receive. Now, your sentiments are wasted as are the SLF's interest in a day in court. I am sure the airline has some small print (terms and conditions) that has this condition covered. Unless SLF is a sh*thouse lawyer and is sure that "an extraordinary circumstance" is a legal term that a mechanical failure does not fall under in the airlines terms and conditions, SLF is wasting time.