OT: Malaysian Airline Shot Down in Ukraine

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The pilot should have changed course. He/she has that option. Flying through a war zone is asking for trouble. Horrible tragedy that could have been easily avoided.

 

[evolver115]

The pilot should have changed course. He/she has that option. Flying through a war zone is asking for trouble. Horrible tragedy that could have been easily avoided.

I agree to a point, DaBolts, but I don't think it's quite that easy. Civilian aircraft have to maintain a certain elevation and positioning as they proceed from takeoff to landing. Those routes aren't drawn up by the pilot, they're drawn up by air traffic controllers on the ground that control and maintain a certain area of airspace.

 

[Phantomphan]

Sam Kinison used to do a bit about the camera crews who would film starving people and how the camera crew must have had plenty of food but wouldn't share it cos they would lose their story.

 

[Phantomphan]

The pilot should have changed course. He/she has that option. Flying through a war zone is asking for trouble. Horrible tragedy that could have been easily avoided.

Pilots have very little leeway when at cruising altitude. There are air corridors that they are expected to stay in. Deviating from that, especially in a war zone, would be a big problem.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I agree to a point, DaBolts, but I don't think it's quite that easy. Civilian aircraft have to maintain a certain elevation and positioning as they proceed from takeoff to landing. Those routes aren't drawn up by the pilot, they're drawn up by air traffic controllers on the ground that control and maintain a certain area of airspace.

It's well known there is civil war going on in Ukraine. Flying over Ukraine should be avoided no matter what. Nobody should care if the flight takes longer. Getting to the destination safely is what's important. The air traffic controllers should know the situation & give the pilot an alternate route.

 

[pixburgher66]

Cnn reported just a bit ago that the aircraft was in fact within a civilian air corridor, both in elevation, and lat/long. That was reported about an hour ago, so maybe it has since been changed, but it doesn't sound like this aircraft was off course.

This is bad. I pray for those who lost their lives, and their families. And, i pray for all of us. This could lead to something very, very bad.

Wasn't blaming a pilot really, just an observation that the course seemed further north than the others, but considering that's mid-flight, it's pretty negligible.

 

[evolver115]

It's well known there is civil war going on in Ukraine. Flying over Ukraine should be avoided no matter what. Nobody should care if the flight takes longer. Getting to the destination safely is what's important. The air traffic controllers should know the situation & give the pilot an alternate route.

And they very well may have offered an alternative. I know that when the events in the Crimea began, all American flagged civilian flights were warned to beware of that airspace. This was a Malaysian flagged aircraft, so that would be up to them.

Wasn't blaming a pilot really, just an observation that the course seemed further north than the others, but considering that's mid-flight, it's pretty negligible.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting you were, Pix. And I did notice that difference in flight path from the previous day on the link you posted. Many things could have caused that difference. There could have been opposing traffic in that corridor, or aircraft traveling in the same direction that needed to be separated. It's all speculation at this point.

 

[SLY]

Russia be a fucked up place. word is that it was shot down, other is that it just crashed. I bet we never know. Russia would cover up shooting down a passenger plane faster than the world could ever know. deny deny deny

this world drives me fucking nuts

It's truly sickening.

 

[evolver115]

A freelance reporter at the scene talking to CNN live, right now, says the separatists are in control of the area of the crash site. That likely means that when the black boxes are found, they won't be reviewed by western allies.

 

[SLY]

Lol at justifying the shooting down of this plane due to the area it was flying over. Perhaps justifying is the wrong terminology... But there is no excuse for this. Anyone with a fucking brain should be making sure what it is they are firing at.

This just goes to show that we are failing miserably as a race. Fucking shooting down civilian planes full of innocent people due to an issue over imaginary lines in the fucking sand.

If there is a Hell, I hope anyone who had anything to do with this incident suffers it for an eternity.

 

[elocomotive]

You would think with all those cars driving around with cameras that someone would have a video of the missiles being launched. It will be interesting to see what video comes out and if that helps identify the perpetrator.

 

[forty_three]

Interesting on the drive home...

BBC - "There are reports, but as yet unconfirmed by any official source, that the plane was shot down. If it was, it is not known who may be responsible."
MSNBC - "The plane was shot down and Senator John McCain said there would be hell to pay."
FOX - "We impose sanctions on Russia yesterday, and this plane is shot down by Russian missiles today? You can't tell me you think that's coincidence!"



At least MSNBC and FOX are relieved that there were no Americans on board.

More than 150 Dutch though. And reportedly one Canadian.

 

[mattola]

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 Passenger Joked On Facebook “If It Disappears, This Is What It Looks Like”

jesus

 

[pixburgher66]

Interesting on the drive home...

BBC - "There are reports, but as yet unconfirmed by any official source, that the plane was shot down. If it was, it is not known who may be responsible."
MSNBC - "The plane was shot down and Senator John McCain said there would be hell to pay."
FOX - "We impose sanctions on Russia yesterday, and this plane is shot down by Russian missiles today? You can't tell me you think that's coincidence!"



At least MSNBC and FOX are relieved that there were no Americans on board.

More than 150 Dutch though. And reportedly one Canadian.

I had seen there were 23 Americans? Really doesn't matter to me one way or another, human is a human. But it is incredible how those outlets only seem interested when an American is involved. Everything was unconfirmed until the US confirmed it.

 

[mattola]

Ukraine accuses pro-Russia rebels - Russia accuses Ukraine of #MH17 and the victims get forgotten in politics. #thisfuckingworld

 

[pixburgher66]

@richarddeitsch 1h
Reports are coming out that some of the passengers of #MH17 were researchers heading to the 20th International AIDS Conference. Gutting.

 

[evolver115]

Ukrainian Secret Service intercepted and translated a wireless conversation between Pro-Russian Separatists and an alleged Russian officer discussing the destroyed Malaysian civilian airliner. I found this in a German newspaper(der Spiegel).

Here is a link to the Google translated article the vid came from(check link for vid of convo):
Google Translate

 

[evolver115]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbyZYgSXdyw&feature=youtu.be
^^^Link to youtube video translated to english

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I had seen there were 23 Americans? Really doesn't matter to me one way or another, human is a human. But it is incredible how those outlets only seem interested when an American is involved. Everything was unconfirmed until the US confirmed it.

 

[forty_three]

Ukrainian Secret Service intercepted and translated a wireless conversation between Pro-Russian Separatists and an alleged Russian officer discussing the destroyed Malaysian civilian airliner. I found this in a German newspaper(der Spiegel).

Here is a link to the Google translated article the vid came from(check link for vid of convo):
Google Translate

I am intensely suspicious of that transmission. A little too perfect.


One of the more, shall we say, "unique" things I heard last night was some senator turning the rhetoric up to 11. He said something to the effect of if Russia gave the seperatists weapons that led to the slaughter of innocent civilians, then they need to be help accountable.

Oh, so we believe in the culpability of weapons suppliers in the deaths of innocent people now?


I so very much prefer BBC News, by the way.