The investigation into the crash of flight MH17 has finally been suspended, over eight years after being launched…
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Basics of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
For a refresher, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed on July 17, 2014. The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200ER, and was scheduled to fly from Amsterdam (AMS) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL). There were 298 people onboard, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
The plane was shot down over Eastern Ukraine, only about 30 miles from the Ukraine-Russia border. This occurred in a territory controlled by Russian separatist forces, around the start of the War in Donbas.
While it quickly became apparent that the plane was shot down, the big question was who shot the plane down, how, and why. This is something that has been under investigation by an international team since that time…
What the inquiry into the crash of MH17 found
As of this week, the investigation into the crash of MH17 has been suspended, as all leads have been exhausted. Investigators know the plane was downed with a Buk missile system by Ukrainian separatists, which came from a Russian military base.
Furthermore, investigators have found “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of the heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists. However, the investigators have insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects. The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in the plane being shot down, and has also refused to participate in the investigation.
Here’s what Andy Kraag of the Dutch police had to say about the investigation:
“Are we disappointed? No, because we think we came further than we had ever thought in 2014. Would we have liked to come further? Of course, yes. We’re really clear on what has happened, but the answer to the question why MH17 was shot down still remains in Russia.”
While the investigation has been suspended, phone lines remain open for anyone with further information, and that could lead to the investigation being reopened at some point in the future.
A few months ago, a Dutch court convicted three people (two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel) for their roles in shooting down the plane. However, it’s unlikely these people will serve their sentences, as they didn’t appear for the trial.
The big question that remains is why the plane was shot down. What motive would Russians and Ukrainian separatists have for shooting down a civilian plane flying between the Netherlands and Malaysia? Was this a mistake, and was the missile intended for another plane, or…?
How awful for the families of the victims. Nearly 300 people senselessly lost their lives, and I’m sure many families would at least like some closures as to why their loved ones’ lives were unnecessarily cut short. But unfortunately it looks like they won’t be getting that.
Malaysia Airlines’ two mysterious crashes
While a complete coincidence, it’s quite remarkable how Malaysia Airlines had two crashes within months of one another, and neither have been resolved. In March 2014 (a few months before the crash of MH17), flight MH370 disappeared while enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The flight was also operated by a Boeing 777-200ER.
If you think there’s no closure for the families of those who were on MH17, the situation with MH370 is even worse. While it’s believed that the captain intentionally downed the plane, most of the plane’s wreckage was never found, and there are few facts to go off of. At least with MH17, we know what happened, we just don’t know why. In the case of MH370, we don’t know what happened, and we don’t know why.
Aviation is so incredibly safe because usually we learn from every accident and make changes to avoid a similar thing happening in the future. The disappearance of MH370 remains the biggest mystery in the history of commercial aviation (in my opinion). To think that a Boeing 777 could just vanish without a trace is mind-boggling. Nowadays an AirTag can tell you exactly where in the world your bag is, but we can’t figure out where a 777 weighing several hundred thousand pounds ended up.
Bottom line
Over eight years after the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, the investigation has finally been suspended. Investigators know the plane was shot down over Eastern Ukraine with missiles by Russian separatists. Furthermore, it’s highly likely that Putin supplied these missiles.
However, the big question remains why this tragedy happened. Why would rebels shoot down a plane that has nothing to do with the conflict? Was it a mistake, or…?
What do you make of this investigation reaching a dead end?
A day or two after the downing of MH17, Secretary of State John Kerry stated that US satellite recorded the event. This information was never publicly revealed, nor was submitted under seal to the Dutch investigation. The recordings from Kyiv ATC were supposedly erased or otherwise destroyed.
There is more to the murders of the MH17 passengers and crew than has been presented to the public.
Mistake or not (I don’t think the Russians intentionally shot down MH 17), the more important lesson is that there are genuinely bad state actors in the world. Russia under Putin is one of them and their supporters, yes China, I’m looking at you, are not states that will never act with any semblance of morality. They’re bad, horrible countries and need to be called out as such. There’s such a thing as right and wrong, as Ukraine has demonstrated.
I seem to remember in the immediate aftermath of the shoot down it being stated that the missile was meant for a Ukrainian IL76 which was in the area and the wrong aircraft was targeted. Interesting that the ATC tapes were not available.
@ Phil,
Excuses were made to be used.
"The big question" isn't really a question. It's pretty obvious it was a mix up - both because there's a lack of motive to target the aircraft, and based on intercepted communication of separatists following the shot-down.
I am Malaysian and some people I know lost their family in both incidents. It's awful that no closure can be found because no one stepped up to accept responsibility. What a tragedy.
Maybe Putin's whole military operation was to kill the investigation.
I have never thought it was anything but a mistake - they presumably thought they were shooting at a Ukrainian Air Force 'plane; indeed there might even have been an Ukrainian Air Force 'plane nearby.
Given that even the 2014 fighting was an undeclared invasion that was bad.
But the truly reprehensible behaviour on the part of the Russians was in denial, lying, trying to blame the Ukrainians, and trying to cover-up.
Bagoly, fighter jets in combat would never fly at that altitude.
I think they thought it was a cargo plane. Apparently they shot one down a few days earlier.
@Nelson
What altitude you think does fighter jets in combat flies?
You think Ukraine are capable of dropping precision bombs from 50,000 ft. like the NATO equipment.
Or they are thrill seekers and fly low enough to get shot by MANPADS.
@ Eskimo,
I think you misunderstood my reply. Fighter jets in combat usualy fly at lower altitude than comercial A/C's. That's what I meant. Yes they can fly higher but a combat is rarely at FL400 or higher, so yes I'm quite sure they were not trying to point any possible treatment.
@Nelson
I stand corrected. But also you missed my part that they wouldn't fly lower than commercial either.
The equipment that Ukraine have do operate at commercial airliner altitude to avoid MANPADS. With the exception of the SU-25, which is like Soviet's distant cousin of the A-10. Many SU-25 unfortunately were down by MANPADS.
However, the almighty NATO can and normally drop bombs from 50,000 ft. Many of their airframes are variant of...
@Nelson
I stand corrected. But also you missed my part that they wouldn't fly lower than commercial either.
The equipment that Ukraine have do operate at commercial airliner altitude to avoid MANPADS. With the exception of the SU-25, which is like Soviet's distant cousin of the A-10. Many SU-25 unfortunately were down by MANPADS.
However, the almighty NATO can and normally drop bombs from 50,000 ft. Many of their airframes are variant of commercial airliner, notably the 707.
So if NATO is operating, it's never safe from mistaken identity.
How many tens of millions of dollars were wasted coming to this conclusion?
Perhaps you're right. Think about all the money we waste investigating any crime . . . but especially war crimes and terrorism. Perhaps what was needed was an investigation like the Warren Commission that quickly came to the wrong conclusion about JFK's assassination. Congress was foolish to reopen the case in the 1970s and spend all that money to come to the correct conclusion.
Chris - What’s your point? Don’t investigate and allow civil aviation to become target practice for terrorists? If I were a family member of one of the victims, I’d be outraged if the authorities just blew off an investigation to save money. It’s not concluded, it’s suspended for now and they did convict three in absentia. If those guys attempt to travel outside of Russia, they will get picked up.
People are missing what @Chris W is trying to point.
Yes there should be an investigation.
But the last 8 years is trying to convict Russia of ordering the hit.
Something we already assume within weeks of the crash (shoot down).
It's been dragging on for years because the 'why' is not what the investigators are looking for.
A simple mistaken identity without exact evidence is just not enough.
Concluding that...
People are missing what @Chris W is trying to point.
Yes there should be an investigation.
But the last 8 years is trying to convict Russia of ordering the hit.
Something we already assume within weeks of the crash (shoot down).
It's been dragging on for years because the 'why' is not what the investigators are looking for.
A simple mistaken identity without exact evidence is just not enough.
Concluding that it was mistaken identity is not acceptable, so they just close it.
Along those line, are wasted money trying to catch nothing except a witch.
They had Hanlon's razor from the start.
Chris, wasted?? Sure you had no familiars, relatives or friends on that flight. Not one cent was "wasted" until now. It's called invested!
I'm astonished Ben didn't erase your comment.
Btw, as you talk about it in Dollars I guess you are American? Did you ever thought about how much million dollars trump has spend to try to become a second time president??? Just be human!
@Nelson
Trump? Don't just single out one guy.
Did you know how many billion dollars spent for any politician to be a President?
@ Eskimo,
I know, it was just to give an example.
I found incredible how fast ANY topic in the comments section become an american politics topic...
Hopefully someday this cold case will get resolved.
Agreed. There will likely be a retired investigator or an amateur who keeps the case alive and finds *the* data point that precipitates the answer.
That plane should NEVER have been flying in that area, and at the time, many operators had rerouted their flights to avoid much of Ukraine's airspace. What is unacceptable is that Russia and its proxies will have gotten away with murdering those on board the jet and what is worse, all over a dispute over a patch of land not worth fighting for. The Kremlin has always counted on the obscurity of the matter to...
That plane should NEVER have been flying in that area, and at the time, many operators had rerouted their flights to avoid much of Ukraine's airspace. What is unacceptable is that Russia and its proxies will have gotten away with murdering those on board the jet and what is worse, all over a dispute over a patch of land not worth fighting for. The Kremlin has always counted on the obscurity of the matter to wash its hands of it and once again, as it has for decades, inflicted misery, pain and suffering, something it knows how to to so well.
Many airlines also didn't reroute from flying in that area and were fine. It seems likely that it was a mistake, but an inexcusable mistake.
Not a reason to be shot out of the sky by a murderous regime that is Russia.
Some may have rerouted, but many did not. IIRC, there was a Singapore aircraft right behind MH17, and an Emirates one right in front. So it's not like whomever was firing in that area, didn't know it was a commercial lane....
Might I suggest a MUCH better title ending in "... comes to the conclusion"? Come on, Ben.
Lukas, well, maybe because there is NO conclusion yet.
True but my main reason for the change is because it includes the word 'dead' in the headline. I'm sure that can be changed to something more appropriate.
Lukas is really trying to make trouble out of nothing. Let it go...
It’s moments like these that make me want to clarify that there are several ”Lukas” on OMAAT ;) I, for one, have no issue with the title :)
You can't be serious. You're really getting riled up over the widely common phrase, "dead end"? Trust me, nobody is getting their panties in a bunch over this expression... except you.