Don't know about lives lost, but I bet the unfortunate Pel Air - Norfolk - accident pilot would in retrospect have welcomed "Operational Control"!
Airlines and large commercial companies can no doubt put strategies in place to look after their own interests, but the recent Mildura debarcle even puts them to shame.
The only way you can have effective operational control is to have an experienced, knowledgeable, "effective" person oversee the "operation".
The old adage - "You don't know what you don't know."
Some effective form of "flight following & monitoring" should be required of all commercial flights as part of their risk management.
I don't know precisely how the Americans do it, but I think commercial flights there are overseen by "despatcher's" who in effect, provide a form of operational control and responsibility for the duration of a commercial flight. As well there are FBO's and handling agents who provide a fee based service on demand.