DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME....I am not saying the crew was NOT AT FAULT.
The low time Captain was allowing the newly trained FO (125 hours of OE) to do the takeoff, at night, at a Special Airport, on a WET, UNGROOVED runway with pooling water, without using a WET V1, at an operation with shoddy engine maintenance. Even after attempting to reject after V1, they did not use FULL REV until the last 500 feet. They might have made it if they did. So YES they screwed up.
But I AM SAYING that more heads should have rolled for those responsible for this accident... from the DO, schedulers, maintenance, etc, on down the line, but only the crew 'was hung out to dry.'
With this being said, all the training in the world cannot prepare you for what happened to them. Sure, you will say I NEVER attempt a reject after V1...AHEM AHEM...I have seen this done countless times in the SIM by seasoned pilots who think they CANNOT make it by taking it airborne. When asked afterwards, their common answer: "it was a gut reaction I had to make in a split second." ...even though it goes against all the principles of aviation and countless years of training.
When this engine went, a fire ball shot forward of the cockpit and shuddered the entire aircraft (according to reports). The Captain took control and attempted to reject. His gut feeling told him that something terrible had happened and in that split second, he did not think the plane to be airworthy. Blame him if you want...but he is still walking in his shoes...something you cannot do.