Not so Fantastic,
Sorry, you're absolutely wrong. While the pilot could possibly be commended for doing his best to get the pax home, and was perhaps under some pressure from MAN base, he was operating outside his qualifications. He should have said "no". You may feel that the most simple tasks are not beyond the abilities of the unqualified; they may be in practice but there is a reason why most tasks are left to those best (and legally) qualified.
You also have to consider the fact that his (well-intentioned) interfering with the air/ground system has other implications. Suppose the whole episode had had its desired conclusion - pax home and happy. It is possible that no record of his actions would ever exist.
Suppose, as a consequence of his actions, a subsequent failure/incident related to the air/ground system occurred. The last certification of any legitimate work on that system remains in force. The engineer responsible could potentially and innocently be in the frame for something he did not do.
