Perhaps no problem in a light aircraft on your own, but in a heavy jet with 257 souls aboard, a very rash move. At sometime they would have had to turn to come out of McMurdo base area, the ground would be coming up, and at 1,500ft 260 kts, 200 ton aircraft would not be a position many would like to line up for themselves.
Most people that argue the pilots having no responsibility have difficulty understanding the above. Primarily because they have never flown a heavy jet. You can only get so much out of books.