i can remember seeing the tenerife accident
reported on the telly as a news flash( i was very young!).the dutch cap was the blue eyed boy of klm, and even appeared in their adverts, shock of blonde hair, super shiny teeth and bob monkhouse tan.
the panam was back tracking at the time mr shiny applied thrust for the second time , and transmitted he was rolling for t/o.
panam tried to turn off once they became aware of the gravity of the situation, but unfortunately they got hit broadside, the klm had rotated and was just airborne.
mr shiny was very experienced, senior training cap if i remember, and paid the ultimate price of believing in his own ego.
as a direct result r/t procedures were overhauled, and re-written, and hence the introduction of "departure" into the phraseology, and the growing acceptance of the importance of crm.(read the accident report if you can , also the staines trident disaster. accidents usually start way before the incident itself!)
flying isn't inherently dangerous. but the enviroment is particularly unforgiving.