Malaysia airliner crash: What we know

 BBC | 17 July 2014

Almost 300 people are presumed dead after a Malaysia Airlines jet crashed in eastern Ukraine close to the border with Russia. 

Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was flying over the war-torn region when it disappeared from radar. Some 280 passengers and 15 crew members were on board.

What type of plane was it?

 

The crashed plane was a Boeing 777-200ER, the same model as that of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 - Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur

Aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER

Crew: 15

Passengers: 280

Left Amsterdam: 10:15 GMT

Lost contact: 14:15 GMT at 10,000m (33,000ft)

What happened?

 

According to Malaysia Airlines, the plane departed Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 10:15 GMT (12:15 local time) on 17 July and lost contact four hours later at 14:15 GMT - 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border. It was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 22:10 GMT (06:10 local time).

It had been due to enter Russian airspace when contact was lost.

Both the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels who have been fighting in the region have denied shooting it down.

Debris from the plane is strewn over several kilometres

An adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Herashchenko, alleges that the plane was hit by a missile fired by a Buk launcher - a Russian-made, medium-range surface-to-air missile system.

Ukraine has accused Russia's military of supplying advanced missiles to the rebels.

However, separatist leader Alexander Borodai accused the Ukrainian government of downing the airliner itself.

"Apparently, it's a passenger airliner indeed, truly shot down by the Ukrainian air force," he told Russia's state-run Rossiya 24 TV broadcaster.

Buk surface-to-air missile system

Also known as SA-11 Gadfly (or newer SA-17 Grizzly)
Russian-made, mobile, medium range system
Weapons: Four surface-to-air missiles
Missile speed (max): Mach 3
Target altitude (max): 22,000 metres (72,000ft)
Source: Global Security