F/O,
You are right, the first line of response to a flight crew error should be a supportive assessment of the facts, and then re-training as required to minimise the chances of any re-occurance. I agree fully with this for errors.
How about willful negligence by the crew? Using this example to illustrate my point (and I am NOT saying this is what actually happened), if the crew knew they would miss the curfew, they were at the end of their duty week and they were motivated SOLELY by a desire to reduce personal inconvenience should they not pay the fine?
If I take the fire-axe to all of the screens in the aircraft should I not be personally liable for the costs?
Is the danger of what I am saying that it represents a thin-edge of the wedge? Probably. Do we (as flight crew) have the justifiable fear that there would never be a process that we could have confidence in to be impartial in judging the difference between willful negligence and an accident? Absolutely, God-forbid that should ever be RYR running that process.
The world is not as black and white as I would like it to be. I have not, to date, heard any reasons put forward as to why that crew, on that day, should not pay the fine. My ears and my mind remains open.