The irony....
Investigators pinned most of the blame on the KLM pilot, Jacob van Zanten, who was considered such an exceptional flier he was the face of the company.
The youtube computer simulation is just freaky scary to watch.
It’s not quite irony.
The adverts where van Zanten appeared featured his commitment to punctuality. If you read the transcript or listen to voice recorder, it was van Zanten who appeared to get impatient and began the take off procedure prior to confirming runway clearance.
That’s not irony, that’s negligence.
Investigators pinned most of the blame on the KLM pilot, Jacob van Zanten, who was considered such an exceptional flier he was the face of the company.
...
He lost his patience and thought he was bigger than the situation.
The airport was packed and everybody was late due to a separatist terror attack earlier in the day.
I have taken off in conditions of extremely limited visibility but within minimums . Once I have been given the clearance "okay for departure" I know the runway ahead of me is clear. Did he get the "okay for depature?" If he did the KLM Captain is blameless. If he did not he is totally responsible for the horrible tragedy.
He was their Mr. Safety. Rolled with no takeoff clearance, only a departure clearance in heavy fog on a single runway where they had to backtaxi. Incredible that even anyone survived (only on Pan Am).