At last, the real pilots coming in and making sensible comments rather than the hand-bag brigade just awaiting a victim. I notice RAT5 sets the scene by making clear no criticism intended. Shame we have to do that in order to avoid the petty, insulting onslaught from the bored trouble makers. I think SLOWJET was taken by the initial media report and wondered if it was accurate. If it was, he was rightly entitled to comment on what RAT5 alludes to. Opens up huge debate and might creep the thread too far for the Mods.
Gosh, though ; the "Land as soon as possible" debate spilled over at all my CRM training into lively debate in the crewroom. The "Land at the nearest ", oh, wait for it, suitable alternate has spilled over into the bar and led to the odd bar brawl !
SLOWJET's "think, think, think " was well intentioned. Like RAT5, how bad can it be to warrant dropping in from 35000ft and only 17 nearby ? Must have been very bad indeed .
The London carrier incident might not have been the same as one reported of a B737 with engine failure over destination, CDG, and elected to turn round and return to LGW on one engine. "Nearest", "suitable" etc. Cripes. Debate raged for years after that one.