An error correction code system, e.g. of a magnetic tape drive, applies error correction redundancy to data, separates it, or interleaves it, and records it into separate groups. An error correction encoder applies an outer error correction code to one of the separate groups of information, forming one set of rows of information and outer ECC information. An error correction encoder applies an outer error correction code to another separate group of information, forming another set of rows of information and outer ECC information. A data organizer interleaves the one set of rows of information and outer ECC information with the another set of rows of information and outer ECC information for recording on tracks of a recording media in an interleaved pattern of one set of rows of information and outer ECC information with another set of rows of information and outer ECC information.