The Southern Air DC-9 accident was due to misinterpreting the in-cockpit X-band radar display. Due to attenuation the heaviest area of weather looked like the quickest way thru. At the time of the accident, controllers didn’t have as good of radar picture as they do now and rarely disagreed with a pilot’s decision if they even offered an opinion at all. Also, in-cockpit ADS-B and XM weather radar displays now can give pilots a strategic advantage of seeing the whole picture and avoiding those up close and personal encounters.