Malaysia Airlines plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine

Apparently the shift to the North was to avoid bad weather.

 

Stay away!!

 

Someone in your house probably has inside knowledge the Ukrainians are behind it.

 

Interesting. Curious where that report may have come from.

Here is Thursday's weather in Genichesk, Ukraine (close to the regular flight path). Sunny skies in the late afternoon, when the crash occured.

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Genichesk-weather-history/Khersonska-Oblast/UA.aspx

And the reason to shift north into a war zone instead of south was . . .

 

@BTE

From an aviation forum I frequent.

It's been revealed that MH17 was some 300 km north of their original flight planned route due to deviations around thunderstorms. The airspace was NOTAMed closed from FL320 and below but MH17 was at FL330. Such a senseless tragedy.

 

The same guy that changed Kennedy's parade route must have changed MS17's flight path.

 

Thanks. Now my next question:

I know weather can affect takeoffs and landings, but at cruising speed in mid-flight you're flying above the weather, aren't you? And since the weather was clear south of the war zone, it would seem prudent to get the hell down there and back on course as soon as possible.

Must have been one heck of a "storm." Somewhere.

 

@BTE

Aircraft divert around storms at cruising level all of the time, weather affects far more than take off and landings. TCU clouds (towering cumulus that hold thunderstorms) can extend to FL600 (60,000 feet). Aircraft also move around to avoid areas of turbulence as well but not usually 500 miles.

I have seen a few things posted on line but can't find the METAR (meteorological report) for that time of day. I also read that there were 2 other commercial air liners within 25 miles of where it was shot down - Singapore Airlines and Air India.

This could lend some credence that all were avoiding weather.

ETA - Singapore Airlines SQ351 (B777) and Air India AI113 (B787)

 

Thanks again. Just wish I knew where these storms were supposed to be. All I know is where they were not.

And again, if you must divert, why north and not south?

EDIT: Looks like south would be a problem because all of Crimea is a no-fly zone.

Will be an interesting next few days.

 

Ukraine allegedly intercepted calls from separatists to Russian military officers about the plane.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/world/europe/100000003007434/intercepted-audio-of-ukraine-separatists.html

 

Well, IF authentic, I'd say that's your smoking gun as to who did it. And it don't exactly simplify matter that the call was being made to a Russian military officer. I'd presume we'll next learn that Russia provided them with the missiles. The makings of quite an international mess here.

BTW, I enjoyed the guy at the end dismissing news that it was civilian aircraft with the "well, then it was carrying spies" rationale. Yeah, right, spies cruising past at 33,000 feet in a commercial airliner. Sounds likely.

 

I was thinking that, too.