It was still a piss poor idea to rotate even though there evidently wasn't even close to enough speed to make a safe takeoff. He probably should've kept the plane on the ground and put it through the field. It wouldn't have been pretty, but I don't think 49 people would've been killed.
Governor Fletcher on the phone with Fox News right now. He claims he knows some of the people that were on this flight. He is in Germany at this time.
No, you are trained that if you can get it up, you get it up. Air gets out of your way, while the ground doesn't. Getting airborne past V2 gives you time and options if any exist. Running into something takes your options away.