Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Shot Down Over Ukraine

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Possibly shot down in error.

Doesn't look good for survivors. Not a good year for Malaysia Airlines or 777s.

 

[Duke]

That's just terrible.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

If it was shot down by Russian rebels, then the silver lining might be that the EU or UN finally cracks down in a decisive way on the Russians.

 

[Fallen Angel]

280 passengers and 15 crew members on board apparently.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Not that any loss of life is more or less tragic than any other, but if most of the passengers were Chinese citizens, and this gets blamed on Russian rebels/Russia, then ... yikes.

 

[terry78]

Who shoots down a plane? And yes, I know the answer is Russia, but this is getting ridiculous.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Question is why are passenger planes flying over a war zone?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

That's something Malaysia Airlines will have to answer for. Between this and the ongoing fiasco with the still missing MH370, I think Malaysia Airlines is done.

 

[Duke]

According to IHeart Radio, it appears the plane was shot down somewhere in Ukraine.

 

[Fallen Angel]

This is a version of the weapon that shot the plane down. Looks a scary mofo in the picture.

Soviet-era SAM (Surface to Air Missile)

 

[Donut]

I'm guessing the Malaysia Airlines is not long for this world

 

[FaNGuY]

If its 100% confirmed that this was shot down....this MIGHT start WW3

 

[DarkSentinel]

Watching the news right now, they're saying that none of the "debris" (away from the point of impact) are charred or on fire..it's possible that there was some sort of freak malfunction in the air.

 

[Fallen Angel]

If its 100% confirmed that this was shot down....this MIGHT start WW3

It wasn't intentionally shot down. Why would the Russians /Ukrainians do that to a Malaysian Airline?

 

[Feenix]

If its 100% confirmed that this was shot down....this MIGHT start WW3

Not likely.




Are the passengers dead?

 

[DarkSentinel]

Seems that way.

 

[Donut]

It wasn't intentionally shot down. Why would the Russians /Ukrainians do that to a Malaysian Airline?

The Russians have Jack Bauer & the Malaysians were going to rescue him

 

[Farren]

Question is why are passenger planes flying over a war zone?

I'm given to understand it's not that unusual. We're talking about commercial planes flying at heights that can only be reached by advanced hardware -- the kind that's operated by a professional military (which presumably knows who they are shooting at).

Although from what I'm reading it sounds like this may have been by separatists who were supplied by Russia. Supposedly they recently shot down another (not commercial) plane (but I'm trying to find a credible link for that). If these bozos were handed advanced missiles and didn't know what they were shooting at...yeah...disaster.

 

[Fallen Angel]

I'm given to understand it's not that unusual. We're talking about commercial planes flying at heights that can only be reached by advanced hardware -- the kind that's operated by a professional military (which presumably knows who they are shooting at).

Although from what I'm reading it sounds like this may have been by separatists who were supplied by Russia. Supposedly they recently shot down another (not commercial) plane (but I'm trying to find a credible link for that). If these bozos were handed advanced missiles and didn't know what they were shooting at...yeah...disaster.

Ah you make a good point and this is post-Soviet era Russia/Ukraine. You can get anything you want if you know who to speak to.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

If its 100% confirmed that this was shot down....this MIGHT start WW3

I love the smell of breathless sensationalism in the morning.

If I had a nickle for every time someone claimed a diplomatic incident or tragedy would kick off a Third World War..... well, I'd have a lot of nickles.

It will put pressure on the Russians to pull out of Ukraine and stop supporting these rebels.

 

[Feenix]

I'm hoping someone can help me out with a question. Wouldn't the plane be flying at a height of at least 30,000 feet? If so, that would mean the people on the ground with the missiles would need radar to detect the plane flying overhead. Wouldn't that radar be able to tell them that the plane is commercial and not military?

Military planes and commercial jets look very different, don't they? If this was a mistake, wouldn't it be a really really stupid one?

 

[kane9321]

RIP

But why take that route...gotta be other ways to their destination

Ukraine fiercely claiming it was Russia.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Gee, just what that area doesnt need, a whole new mess to deal with. I'm sure that Putin, the Ukrainian PM, the Malaysians and who knows who else are all sweating bullets right now.

 

[Farren]

If you go on flightradar24.com you can see that there are still flights going over Ukraine. Although I did spot a Malaysian Airlines flight that's been diverted: MH21. Normally it goes through Ukrainian airspace. (don't know if those links are going to work.) Smart move; if I were MA I'd be on the phone to the ATCs in the area saying "I don't care where you send them, just keep all our planes the **** out of there."

 

[Hal_Jordan]

Gee, just what that area doesnt need, a whole new mess to deal with. I'm sure that Putin, the Ukrainian PM, the Malaysians and who knows who else are all sweating bullets right now.

No group is claiming any responsibility yet, and everyone who has commented so far claims it was terrorism.

There's really not enough information about much at all yet. Everything is just speculation at this point.