Mainframe, excellent post.
Whether or not this was the case it is something for all to think about.
A C310 was destroyed [pilot OK] on a night take-off at Longreach about 22-23 years ago exactly because of this. In talking to pilot later [I was his ex CP, then newly in airlines] he described his training and it was crap [by that ex real estate salesman at Coolangatta]
At night attitude flying after rotate until above 500' and on x-wind is the go!
