Re KCl's post: Well, MK Airlines would say that, wouldn't they? It's no less reprehensible of them, however, to do so.
Re ExSimGuy and Makintw's posts: One should not lose sight of the fact that the berm did not cause the accident. Of course, it's a given that the area of a runway should be as free of obstructions as possible. The runway closure at TPE at the time of SQ006 was recent and temporary but, at the end of the day, even that cannot be used as an excuse for the actions of the SQ crew. The berm at YHZ was legal and a permanent fixture. In the event, say, of a catastrophic engine failure on takeoff, perhaps the presence of the berm would prevent a successful climb-out. In the case of the MKA accident, a fully airworthy aircraft was being operated in an unsafe manner. The reason for that is the crux of this tragedy.
Rockhound