One has to be circumspect as this has been the subject of litigation.
Grim Reaper - be careful damning fellow instructors simply because you do not have all the facts. Which you don't.
The instructor in question was an is a throughly professional bloke much like those you work with every day and count yourself amongst.
This student has 90+hrs on a CAP509 course. Hypothetically such an experienced pilot - way beyond the required standard for a PPL + IMC rating - ought to be able to conduct a 180 on instrument. People will speculate that a flight authorised to be conducted 1000ft below 8/8ths cloud as a minimum would be outside of its authorisation if it inadvertently entered a consistent flat cloud layer.
Looking outside of this case I have heard instructors articulate difficulties in controlling students from radically different cultures. In some cultures in the world ones parentage embues a status which means disregarding the advice or instructions of others is entirely reasonable behaviour regardless of scenario.
Moving back to the specifics of this topic. I can attest that the standard of written report demanded by BAe is very very high. I have seen a good friend fired solely due to sloppy student records. Fired.
It could be argued, not by me, that to take one line of a 20 page student records file and hold it up in court to 'hang' an instructor is all our worst fears come true.
Since the dawn of flight training students have always been sent forth and killed/injured themselves. The standards across the profession are very high and that is why in this case the CAA have taken no action. One might summise that they deemed there was nothing to be gained outside of the courts.
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