Huck:
I must disagree with you about your interpretation of the regulations regarding takeoff/night/unlit etc.
While many FAR 121 0perators ( this is the US federal regulation codes for most airlines in the USA...scheduled air carriers ), have a sort of waiver allowing for instrument takeoffs without certain lighting systems, including runway edge lights as long as adequate visual reference exists, IT IS NOT A WAIVER OF regulations clearly saying you need runway lights (or authorized flare pots) for takeoff at night. The time of the comair crash was legally not day and runway lights WERE required.
Over the years there has been much confusion about the above.
But seldom do pilots check the legal time of sunrise prior to takeoff...could there have been enough light to THINK that it was daylight? we will probably never know...at least till the same day this year, with similiar wx conditions etc.
how often does it happen? or how often does it kill people?