Phillip, unfortunately if they were overweight, then V1 is a useless figure. It is highly dependant on weight, so when they got to their V1 point, depending on if Emirates calculate it as a "stop" or "go" speed, it may well have already been too late to stop on the runway.
That said, in order to achieve this the aircraft would have to be a LOT heavier than they thought, or a very significant tailwind above what they had calculated as they tried to get airborne (eg windshear). An extra 5 tonne or so is unlikely to cause this.
If the load shifted during rotate, they may not have had any notice until they were trying to actually get airborne, in which case there isn't much they can do but try and wrestle it into the air and make it fly. That said, the troubling part is that it used up every inch of runway (and a few more!). Freight shifting could certainly cause a tailstrike, but I can't see how it would lengthen the takeoff by the rather signficant amount that it did.
Mike W, would you rather them attempt to dump fuel over a clear area (where possible above a height where it vapourises before it reaches the ground) or would you rather jeapodise the safety of an aircraft? The jet needed to dump fuel to return. Its not ideal, but when it has to be done, it has to be done.
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