Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 'Shot Down In Ukraine...

[JR8]

The guy in the middle?.... oh, he's the man in charge, the PM, who's dressed like he's on a Hollywood set and off to a disco

[the lynx]

Just found out that one of the pilots is someone known to me. Couldn't believe it is him...

[zzm9980]

Just found out that one of the pilots is someone known to me. Couldn't believe it is him...

Sorry to hear

[sundaymorningstaple]

Just found out that one of the pilots is someone known to me. Couldn't believe it is him...

That's got to be a real bummer. I've had that happen with chopper crashes in the Gulf of Mexico as most were also ex NAM pilots from my same era. Crushing when it happens.

[x9200]

Sorry to hear it Lynx.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-18/m ... ty/5606578

Signals intercepts reveal pro-Russian separatists claiming responsibility for passenger plane downed over Ukraine

[the lynx]

Sorry to hear it Lynx.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-18/m ... ty/5606578

Signals intercepts reveal pro-Russian separatists claiming responsibility for passenger plane downed over Ukraine

Heard it was a fake and got debunked.

http://gmorder.livejournal.com/1113736.html

But I can't read. And can't have the page translated using Google.

[ecureilx]

Just found out that one of the pilots is someone known to me. Couldn't believe it is him...

so sorry to hear that ....

[rajagainstthemachine]

Sorry to hear it Lynx.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-18/m ... ty/5606578

Signals intercepts reveal pro-Russian separatists claiming responsibility for passenger plane downed over Ukraine

Heard it was a fake and got debunked.

http://gmorder.livejournal.com/1113736.html

But I can't read. And can't have the page translated using Google.

@Lynx - Sorry to hear about that

it is also true that Pro Russian Separatists were claiming responsibility for the crash. what they were really after was an Ukrainian military transport aircraft AN-26 which they mistook the M-17 for.

[Wd40]

The plane fell in the region of Donetsk, east Ukraine, which happens to be Sergei's hometown. I just read that Donetsk is now an independent republic with its own prime minister. So I wonder, Sergei is your passport even valid?

[x9200]

The plane fell in the region of Donetsk, east Ukraine, which happens to be Sergei's hometown. I just read that Donetsk is now an independent republic with its own prime minister. So I wonder, Sergei is your passport even valid?

You can see this PM in the picture above, JR8 pasted here on morning.

[Hannieroo]

The plane fell in the region of Donetsk, east Ukraine, which happens to be Sergei's hometown. I just read that Donetsk is now an independent republic with its own prime minister. So I wonder, Sergei is your passport even valid?

Is that a genuine question? Because it would be a poor taste poke.

[Mi Amigo]

Lynx, I'm so sorry to hear that one of the pilots was known to you. This is such a tragedy, that (with hindsight) could possibly have been averted. Like many of us here, I've taken hundreds of flights over the years and I've always felt a bit uneasy when looking at the flight path and seeing that we were flying over places like Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. I often wondered whether the mere fact of being at 30,000+ ft was sufficient to be completely safe. Now it looks like the answer to that question may be no.

I don't think blame should be apportioned to Malaysia Airlines, as the plane was following a flight path consistent with the air traffic regime at the time. And as has been pointed out, other planes (including one operated by Singapore Airlines) passed through the same area shortly afterwards.

Again this is being wise after the event, but if anything good comes out of this tragic incident, perhaps it will be a reassessment of what constitutes a 'safe' flying zone.

It's hard to imagine what it must be like to hear this news and then realise that someone you know was on the plane. Just horrific, as is the thought of all those destroyed lives.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've just been informed by my daughter who is Maersk Drilling's HR functionary in Angola, that one of her 'crew' was also on that flight. Surprising how many people in so many places, one plane disaster can touch. She worked ON the rig with the guy for 2 years before she got promoted to the shore based position.

[x9200]

Talking about really bad coincidence:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... /12824005/

An Australian woman whose brother was killed when the Malaysian Airlines jetliner vanished over the Indian Ocean in March also lost her stepdaughter to the plane that was downed over Ukraine[..]

[Wd40]

After this incident, I would imagine, people flying to the US, from this part of Asia would prefer flying over eastern hemisphere, rather than the western. Europeans are screwed, though, so many unsafe countries in the path.