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How can you justifie sending the ring to Mt. Doom when the only possible solution to actualy throw it into the fire is by accident?
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Let's look at the options, shall we?
1: Throw the Ring into the sea or some huge fissure, or otherwise dispose of it without destroying it.
2: Lock the Ring in some deep dungeon or treasure-house and guard it constantly to keep it from Sauron.
3: Destroy the Ring.
Now, the second option is clearly insane, not only owing to the effect that the Ring has on its owner and on those close to it, but also because Sauron has the military strength simply to take it back by force. The first option is not viable, as it only disposes of the Ring temporarily and leaves it open to recovery. Only the third option completely removes the threat of both the Ring and its maker.
Realising that the only opportunity to eliminate the danger of the Ring for good and all was to send it to the Sammath Naur before it could be recovered by Sauron, Gandalf and the rest of the Council bowed to the dictates of necessity. They sent the people whom they believed most likely to succeed in a) reaching the Cracks of Doom at all and b) casting the Ring into the flames once they arrived. Having done all they could they put their faith in Eru that this would be enough. Without this leap of faith the Ring would never have been destroyed: Sauron, even without the Ring, was more than a match for Gondor and her allies, and he would eventually have recaptured it from any stronghold. Had it been cast into the sea, Sauron need only wait patiently for it to be delivered up again and then resume his search. In either case, the War of the Ring would have been lost, since there would be no power left to oppose his dominion.
In fine, no-one is a madman who takes a desperate gamble when he has nothing to lose and no other alternative. The White Council were placed in just such a position with the Ring. As we can see, their gambit was successful.
[ December 10, 2002: Message edited by: Squatter of Amon Rudh ]