MH17: Malaysia Airlines Plane Shot Down Near Ukraine Border

[Chicog]

It's Putin's fault and I hope he rots in hell.

[OnMyWay2]

This is scary because when the last plane went missing some TV members were bragging about the great deals to be found on Malaysian Air in order to save a few baht.

[lostsoul49]

Watching the UK Sky News for the past 2 hours.

They make the logical reasoning that the Russians and pro Russian rebels would have no interests in shooting down a civilian aircraft.

However, when i think deeper into it.

The Ukrainian government may however have interests as a propaganda stunt to encourage the pro-Russian rebels to stop shooting at their military aircraft.... Think about it.

I am very suspicious of the dialogue coming out of Kiev within a short time of this incident and the words they are using..... Like they already had a composed script.......very suspicious.

With satellite observation, and a guarantee that the US and others are already scanning the area for the presence of munitions capable of reaching the plane and the area it happened can be pretty much pinpointed. So it is not going to be too difficult to track back the satellite images with nice blue skies and in the middle of the afternoon.

Edited July 17, 2014 by lostsoul49

[Pattszero]

Six British nationals were on the flight according to latest reports.

[Suriya4]

This is precisely the reason why I will always fly AirAsia than the cheap MH. They only want to save cost by flying great circle rather than caring for pax safety by avoiding war zone, hurricane / typhoon, poles (ozones) etc.

[Rooo]

Off topic, posts containing deragotory remarks & responses removed.

[RandomSand]

Tis a shame they have now lost two 777s... but at least their shiny fleet of Airbuses are still fine

What a waste of life.

Tragic events indeed.

Edited July 17, 2014 by RandomSand

[Suriya4]

Aeroflot and Malaysia Airlines has the same colors; white blue and red. It could be Ukraine who want to teach Mother Russia a lesson, but make an identification mistake.

[lostsoul49]

Ukraine Foreign Minister is making dramatic claims they have intercepted cellphone data of two Russian colonels chatting about the attack and that they now have reports that the aircraft turned out to be civilian and with many casualties.

The minister has claimed to have handed the phone number to reporters.

This data can be tailored to look like what they want it to, but if true, then Russia will have no choice but to distance themselves from the rebels. But if this doesn't hold up to independent scrutiny and proves to be faked for propaganda reasons, then good luck to Ukraine because that could trigger a full scale Russian invasion to remove the government.

If the Ukraine can get it to hold up, then that is going to pave the way for huge international support for them to go in and wipe out the pro-Russian rebels.

Whatever happens, this is going to escalate, because there is no way the Russians are going to sit back and allow it.

Edited July 17, 2014 by lostsoul49

[englishoak]

It makes no sense to be Russia their tech is more than advanced enough to know the difference between a civilian airline and anything else. It would be like saying the US shot down a Japan airline. I really cant see it being professional and official Russian forces, i really hope it wasn't because we really don't need that outcome as a world.

its just not credible, more like imo to be a mistaken identity for a Russian airline or a separatist nut pro Russians trying to escalate things or as likely a Ukrainian right wing hand in it, there really is some nasty right wing Ukrainian nuts in the current gov and some have spoken out about doing whatever is required against Russia. Or it could be a simple tragic action by some faction but I doubt it. More likely to be an intended target but mistaken identity. Aeroflot and Malay airlines do have similar colours and striping.

My thoughts and wishes go out to all Malaysians at this time and to the families of the victims. There will be closure over this one, there is plenty of radar and sights tuned to that area and hope the information and clear proof is forthcoming ASAP.

Gwiel I can understand your feelings im so sorry bud, lets hope theres more info asap on exactly who was responsible

Edited July 17, 2014 by englishoak

[soihok]

Tragic.

RIP

[DP25]

Ukraine government reporting the plane was shot down by a RUSSIAN plane. Not a pro-Russian separatist rebel weapon. Russian. Also keep in mind initial reports are many Americans on board. As far as the black box, there is going to be an issue as to which country is in control of the investigation. Probably going to be Russia. Can you see the problem with that? Perhaps welcome to Cold War 2.0.

MOSCOW The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that a Russian military plane had shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet in Ukrainian airspace the previous evening, a serious allegation of direct intervention by Russias armed forces.

If confirmed, the confrontation would represent the first open and direct involvement by Russias military in eastern Ukraine since the separatist rebellion began there in April.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/world/europe/ukraine-says-russian-plane-shot-down-its-fighter-jet.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSum&module=b-lede-package-region&region=lede-package&WT.nav=lede-package

That's ANOTHER plane.

First, a Ukrainian fighter jet was shot down, supposedly by a Russian fighter jet. Another fighter jet was damaged but managed to land.

Then a SECOND plane was shot down shortly after, the Malaysian passenger plane, supposedly by a ground based anti aircraft missile.

Edited July 17, 2014 by DP25

[lostsoul49]

Strangely this has already been knocked off the number one news spot by Sky favouring the live footage of the ground incursion by the Israeli military on Gaza.

Maybe this incident provided Netinyahu an opportunity to go in while this incident was stealing the news.

He was wrong in the case of Sky News. (If that's the case that is).

[Loptr]

23 Americans onboard, which gives the US a reason to ramp up... The fat is in the fire now... May all 295 souls RIP...

[englishoak]

If it is indeed Russia that shot the plane down, then every country in the world needs to immediately apprehend all Russian citizens that are in their country pending further investigation.

Shooting down a civilian aircraft is tantamount to declaration of war and every citizen of a country that declares war on a peaceful nation is in breach of every convention since the Geneva convention.

DELETED POST.

They would be wrong, this isnt likely to be a religious hate based act this is a tragedy and it would be better not to try and turn it into one at this time.

I really dont understand why Malaysia airlines were flying over a very active war zone. There has been warnings.

Air operators around the world last night imposed a no fly-zone over Ukraine as questions grew over why passenger jets were still flying over the war zone three months after pilots were warned to avoid it.

Flights were urgently re-routed around the region potentially putting hours onto scheduled journeys and causing delays.

However, aviation safety authorities in the United States and Europe warned pilots in April about potential risks flying in or near Ukraine airspace.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a "special notice" regarding Ukrainian airspace advising airlines to "exercise extreme caution due to the continuing potential for instability."

International aviation agencies in April also had warned pilots and airlines to avoid the Ukranian airspace.

Its a tragedy but there has to be an enquiry why any civillain aircraft was over that region at all given the risks. Profit before passenger safety seems the most likely reason... so sad

Edited July 17, 2014 by Rooo
Removed deleted post

[Bernard Flint]

This is a zone that many of we Europeans fly through on our way to Asia - there but for the grace of ----

I only hope that those that died were gone in an instant - tragic.

I heard that uk and american airlines, do not fly over this zone now.

[Bernard Flint]

BBC World were reporting that the airline has crashed, this was 4.30am, thai time.

[chooka]

Australian P.M Tony Abbott (Dumb Dumb) has already pointed the finger directly at Russia. 27 Aussies on board.

[terryp]

R.I P to all the souls...............their family's must be going thro hell

i wonder if that missing Malay jets twin is still in the Israel hanger.....there are some very sick people (with experience in these kind of events) desperate for a war and will do anything to cause one

[lostsoul49]

BBC World were reporting that the airline has crashed, this was 4.30am, thai time.

It actually went down at around 8pm Thai time.

[lostsoul49]

23 Americans onboard, which gives the US a reason to ramp up... The fat is in the fire now... May all 295 souls RIP...

You seriously think the US will ramp anything up against Russia apart from sanctions that really the Russians couldn't give a toss about?

The US can't really hurt Russia, they are very self sufficient, as forget any military conflict. The US people will be out on the streets in force to prevent it... if anything out of pure fear.

The USmay have enough military fire-power to destroy the whole planet 50 times over, but the Russians have the military power to destroy the world 20 times over..... So what's the point?

Just in case you were going to quote the US military capability..... lol

[webfact]

PLANE CRASH
MH17 crash wakes up the world
Agencies


Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 takes off at 12.31pm from Schiphol airport near Amsterdam, the Netherlands./EPA

AMSTERDAM: -- A Malaysian airliner carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17 in rebel-held east Ukraine, as Kiev said the jet was shot down in a "terrorist" attack.

Ukraines government and pro-Russian insurgents traded blame for the disaster, with comments attributed to a rebel commander suggesting his men may have downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 by mistake, believing it was a Ukrainian army transport plane.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko believes a "terrorist act" was the cause of a Malaysian airlines passenger plane crashing on Thursday, his press secretary said. "Poroshenko thinks this of the plane that was brought down: it is not an incident, not a catastrophe, but a terrorist act," press secretary Svatoslav Tsegolko said.

US President Barack Obama vowed to assist Malaysia in finding out what caused the crash. Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten hosted a press conference shortly after the incident.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak was seen at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport around 1am, for meetings with officials before the press conference hours later.

Several airlines have diverted their flight to avoid the Ukraine airspace.

Singapore Airlines announced through its Twitter account that it will not use the airspace.

Russia’s state-controlled Aeroflot will no longer fly over Ukraine, an official at the airline said, following the crash of a Malaysian passenger airliner in eastern Ukraine. Germany’s largest airline Deutsche Lufthansa said on Thursday its planes would steer clear of east Ukrainian air space. "Lufthansa has decided to avoid the east Ukrainian air space by a wide margin with immediate effect," a company spokesman said.

France urged airline companies on Thursday to avoid Ukraine’s airspace. Air France on Thursday it had decided to avoid east Ukrainian air space.

British Airways announced announced that only one daily flight to Kiev used the airspace, but that is far away from the crash site.

Dozens of severely mutilated corpses could be seen strewn in the wreckage of flight MH17 that crashed Thursday in rebel-held eastern Ukraine but there were no signs of survivors, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Debris was spread out for kilometres and the tail of a passenger jet lay in a corn field with the Malaysian Airlines insignia on it while insurgent fighters and several fire trucks were seen nearby the crash site.

Eyewitnesses told AFP that the jet appeared to explode in mid-air before wreckage rained down over a large area.

Shocked local residents struggled to take in the scene of the carnage and said that remnants of the jet had been found in a village some 9km from the centre of the crash site.

"I had just gone to sleep at around 1600 (9pm Singapore time) when I heard an enormous bang," a 64-year-old resident, identified only as Katya, said. "It was like an earthquake." Her daughter Natalya, 36, said that she had fled to safety when the sound of the explosion rumbled overhead.

"I took my baby and went and hid in the basement," she said.

There was no sign of any rescue workers going through the gruesome site.

MH17 timeline

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane has crashed in Ukraine near Russian border.

The plane, MH17, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 280 passengers and 15 crew members.

Thursday, July 17

6pm: Scheduled time of departure of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17, a boeing 777, from Amsterdam Airport.

6.15pm: MH17 departed from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew.

10.15pm: MAS confirms it received notification from Ukrainian Air Traffic Control (ATC) that it had lost contact with MH17 at 30km from Tamak waypoint, approximately 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

11.30pm: MH17 presumably crashed. MAS releases official tweet,"Malaysia Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow."

11.40pm: Moscow based news agency Interfax says Malaysian passenger airliner was shot down at altitude of 10 km above Eastern Ukraine.

> They confirmed the location of a burning Malaysian plane in Eastern Ukraine.

> The Ukrainian Interior Ministry also confirmed that all passengers and crew are dead. The aircraft was "shot down" while cruising at an altitude of 30,000ft.

> Igor Strelkov, the military commander of pro-Russia separatists, posted on social media shortly before MH17's crash that rebel forces had brought down an Antonov An-26, an aircraft commonly used by Ukrainian forces, in the same area.

Friday, July 18

12.03am: Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk orders an investigation into the crash.

12.05am: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweets, "I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation."

12.18am: Ukrainian officials at the location of the crash confirm at least 100 bodies are found at the location and that body parts were scattered up to 15km from the site.

12.30am: Both Ukrainian authorities and rebel leaders deny shooting down MH17. A ground-to-air missile was the suspected to have brought down the aircraft.

> Russian President Vladimir Putin is in contact with United States president Barrack Obama on the crash, according to RIA news agency.

12.45am: Location of the crash site was revealed to be the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

02.10am: At least four French nationals were onboard MH17, says French foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

02.28am: Interfax reports that Pro-Russian separatists claim to have found MH17's black box.

6.10am: Crashed MH17 scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Malaysia.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/MH17-crash-wakes-up-the-world-30238819.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-18

[terryp]

this could Finnish MH

[dutchisaan]

Dutch news report the following.

Natonalities on board MH17

154 Dutch

27 Australians

23 Maleisie

11 Indonisiers

6 UK

4 Germans

4 Belgium

3 filipines

1 Canadean

From 47 people is not clear at this moment from what country they are from.

Sorry for the spelling mistakes.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kimagure]

Waiting for our European members to blame this on America and start ranting as usual...

[krisb]

Six British nationals were on the flight according to latest reports.

29 Australians.

[siampolee]

Gweiloman post # 7

If it is indeed Russia that shot the plane down, then every country in the world needs to immediately apprehend all Russian citizens that are in their country pending further investigation.

Shooting down a civilian aircraft is tantamount to declaration of war and every citizen of a country that declares war on a peaceful nation is in breach of every convention since the Geneva convention.

I presume that the course of action you advocate was carried out in all of the cases noted in the link below by the nations that suffered the loss of its citizens and its civilian aircraft?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/07/17/332318322/a-brief-history-of-civilian-planes-that-have-been-shot-down

[Mosha]

Very clearly stupidity. Pink line (attached) is the shortest route possible between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. Shot down just south of it ....... Who flies over a crisis zone with low level army grunts armed with air to ground missiles ? must save fuel, must save fuel, must save fuel. .....

Absolutely preventable. MAS management obviously has a "tidak apa" attitude ( she'll be right )

RIP

Screenshot 2014-07-17 23.29.05.png

Many airlines flying that route would and were. Other airlines were on that route. The Ulraine authorities only restriction was stay above FL310.

[tx22cb]

Aeroflot and Malaysia Airlines has the same colors; white blue and red. It could be Ukraine who want to teach Mother Russia a lesson, but make an identification mistake.

If the plane (cruising at 33,000 feet) was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, would that level of detail been seen?

[Clutch]

An absolutely despicable and gutless act. A maggot is a higher form of life than these pieces of sh*#.