FUBAR wrote:

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"FUBAR" wrote in message
.. .

If the controller staffing had been according to FAA orders(2
controllers), maybe the second controller would have been keeping an eye
on the active field(That's what controllers do) and the other is filling
out some worthless Government paperwork? Controller screams abort on
departure frequency and maybe an aborted and embarrassed takeoff is the
only result.



Maybe. Maybe a second controller wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.
After, two well-qualified, experienced professional pilots didn't catch the
error.



It's all about math and odds. IF? just one more controller
had been on duty the "Number" may not have come up. Sure
both pilots screwed up. The odds two controllers and two
pilots would have screwed up or been looking the other way
is much less than 2 pilots and 1 controller.

The "odds" are with two controllers in the cab 49 people
would still be alive today.

I don't believe that. If two pilots can't determine that they are on
the correct runway then you are out of luck unless you have a person
hold their hands out to the runway, have double, triple and quadruple
checks, sign all sorts of paperwork, etc.

A second controller is not relevant to this accident.

Ron Lee