How strikingly symbolic.
Honestly, I’d feel sorry for the pilot, but taking off with an overloaded plane was both contrary to regulations and hawg-stupid. I guess that leaves feeling sorry for the children, who didn’t make the decision.
The last report I saw on that indicated that overloading was pretty much ruled out, and wing icing was being targeted as the cause.
Don’t blame the pilot. the plane is only overloaded if its weight exceeds that it was rated for, and that wasn’t the case because the extra passengers were so small.
I too, feel sorry for “the children, who didn’t make the decision.” Both in the plane and remembered through the memorial.
I’m not mocking your words, but the phrase was so appropriate in this context that I had to highlight it.