but always with a defined moment to say "game over", and always keeping my colleague in the loop
And that is the the big issue.
What's wrong with the culture when 2 men who are responsible for hundreds of lives cannot - or will not - err on the side of caution.
Courage is where you find it, and you won't usually find an opportunity to be courageous by taking the riskiest action.
Usually, courage is quiet and is the result of applying one's knowledge in an unexpected way.