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I suppose it could be distraction. As a controller, it seems as if the least busy times were the most dangerous. We controllers back then were no as observant and became distracted at times. I can remember one time in particular that our tower crew was very lucky that a tragedy didn't occur. I would suppose that happens with flight crews too. It is easier to stay on your toes during busy, stressful times.

I don't know if this is the place for this. I am certainly from an "old school", I reckon. I became a controller more 44 years ago. One thing that was drilled into me was that it is almost always a chain of events that result in the accident. If one event in that chain of events doesn't happen, then most likely the accident doesn't happen.

Just going from memory, it seems that the chain usually had 3 main events. It was impressed on me, never to let that first event happen.

I don't know what happened here. It seems that the flight crew did some things wrong, resulting in taking off on the wrong runway. Perhaps the controller did something wrong or was unable to stop it. I believe the construction and new configuration is also a factor in this.

Any one of those things doesn't happen ............ perhaps the accident doesn't happen.

This is a terrible thing to happen. All have my prayers.