Garpal,I guess you've never made an error or broken a rule ? In aviation (as opposed to less critical fields of endeavour) the outcomes can be VERY different.
Unfortunately people make errors,which can have devastating outcomes, for the same reason they forget to post a letter.
All aviation professionals do battle with their Human fallibilities eveyday,on our best days we can still screwup,add short turn rounds,bad design,fatigue,time pressure & its amazing that there aren't more problems.
Its because as professionals we work hard, train hard & realise ultimately we hold peoples lives in our hands.
The designers, operators & the regulators have a duty to ensure that they set us up to GET IT RIGHT - NOT WRONG, this is not the case.
If PAX realised the stresses & strains placed upon flight crew & ground crew they might vote with their feet. They don't realise that we can become so focussed on 'achieving' that bending/breaking the rules becomes the norm.
It would be nice if things changed across the piste,but unfortunately that takes something far more serious for things to change, people have to die, before the right questions are asked. The ripples from this event, particularly outside the aviation community, will fade quickly.
My point wotb is that professionals have a duty of care to consumers, not the other way about, as you imply. Whether one is a pilot, engineer or doctor, the duty of care rests with the professional. Not the consumer.
I have no doubt that the pilot in this case did a magnificent job, given a short timeline with conflicting information to get the aircraft back to Heathrow. Nonetheless it was a complete cockup.
Passengers have no duty of care in this situation.
The duty of care rests with the professionals in the industry.
I have made cockups in my area of expertise which have cost lives and understand your angst, but you, as I, are a professional and it comes with the territory. Learn from your mistakes, admit them honestly to consumers and keep the other slack bastards in your industry honest, is the best way to go.
Passengers and consumers I would agree do not care, until there is a disaster.