Huh? "Cleared for take off runway 05.... and boy are you in trouble!"
How did ATC bring themselves to let them Taxi or T/O?
Maybe ATC were off watch because ECT had occured..... and the PB crew elected to use unattended procedures....
How I heard it was that ATC were still in the tower (probably off watch packing their lunch boxes into their bags) when the a/c took off.
A crew from my company were in the taxi heading to the hotel (they had missed the cutoff to depart due weather) when they observed the a/c heading towards Rat Point.
S2K