Crashed MH17 flight 'was 300 miles off typical course'

The London Telegraph ^ | July 18, 2014 | Tom Brooks-Pollock and Edward Malnick

[2ndDivisionVet]

MH17 flight feared to have been shot down over Ukraine was taking a significantly different route to the usual course for flights from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, according to aviation expert.

The crashed MH17 flight took a route 300 miles to the north of its usual path, an aviation expert has said.

Robert Mark, a commercial pilot who edits Aviation International News Safety magazine, said that most Malaysia Airlines flights from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur normally travelled along a route significantly further south than the plane which crashed.

Malaysia Airlines has insisted its plane travelled on an "approved route" used by many other carriers.

But Mr Mark said: "I can only tell you as a commercial pilot myself that if we had been routed that way, with what's been going on in the Ukraine and the Russian border over the last few weeks and months, I would never have accepted that route....

[FreeReign]

Muzzie pilot on a suicide mission, Putin gets the blame?

Poor Puty getting blamed for his rebels killing 300 people.

Can't the guy catch a break?

[MeshugeMikey]

NOT to Worry leading brain surgeon... theologian.... and vietnam war vet .......John Jphn Kerry will most certainly get to the bottom of this one too....

[KarlInOhio]

I had heard on Thursday or Friday that there were storms to the south and planes were being assigned to this more northerly flight path. Has anything new been released on that?

[Veto!]

Someone mentioned, I think here at FR, that Malay Air flew over the war zone to save gas. They are in or close to bankruptcy, so chose the shortest route in spite of the dangers. The regular route would have cost them more for fuel.

Lawsuits from MH370 are pushing them toward or HAVE pushed them into bankruptcy. Now they’ll be out of business forever.

[morphing libertarian]

Anybody want to buy my two tickets on Malaysia Air?

[lightman]

I have also read reports that the Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) was not functioning.

No IFF + off course would prima facie indicate a hijacking.

After 9/11/01 no responsible government can afford that risk, especially for an aircraft originating from a Muslim nation.

[lightman]

Muzzie pilot on a suicide mission, Putin gets the blame? The ‘perfect’ Jihad!

Which is twisted into this new century's version of the Lusitania....that's more than a Jihad, that's a world war.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Were you headed to a water park or a war reenactment, by any chance?

[deadrock]

The pilot diverted away and off the 'save gas' flight path into the dangerous part of the no fly zone. He flew further north(300 miles it appears) and thus used more fuel.

Maybe he was 'uncomfortable' saving the company money?

[morphing libertarian]

Bahgdad.

Just worried about unexpected stops.

[Veto!]

OoooKay. So this is an extremely weird “veer” into danger.

Another pilot with a death wish? Or?

[John Valentine]

This article is rubbish. And so are a great many of the comments. This plane was flying a perfectly ordinary route, and was avoiding the southern route as it WAS covered by a notam cautioning pilots away from the Crimean penninsula as well as the Sea of Azov.

[deadrock]

See my #3 and #13 posts.

[John Valentine]

Crap, nothing more.

[deadrock]

Crap, nothing more.

[gandalftb]

Thank you for the post.

There were three approved routes A, B, and C. The “A”, southerly route is the most direct and the most used.

Correct, there were a number of heavy cell thunderstorms covering A and B so they flew the C (most northerly) route that day.

What has not been released is that there had been a total of 12 shootdowns in the previous months, but not above 7,000 feet, so no concern was noted.

However, last Tuesday there was a shootdown at 22,000 feet, indicating a vehicle mounted anti-aircraft system was in play.

There should have been an immediate air traffic advisory that was not done.

BTW, the separatists are known for drinking. Given the sloppy command and control, I would not be surprised if alcohol consumption may have been a factor.

Also, there was apparently no command vehicle that normally carries the aquisition radar for the SA-11 that could IFF the commercial and passenger carrier squak.

[zot]

MH-17 was directly on the great-circle course from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down. Anyone can prove this with a globe and a piece of string. (Hold one end of the string on Amsterdam and the other on Kuala Lumpur, pull it tight, and see where it crosses the Ukraine.)

[Praxeologue]

Someone mentioned, I think here at FR, that Malay Air flew over the war zone to save gas. They are in or close to bankruptcy, so chose the shortest route in spite of the dangers. The regular route would have cost them more for fuel.

This is also the consensus on a respected commercial pilots forum.

[bray]

Is one of them a window seat?

[Fire_on_High]

That’s what I recall as well...they diverted away from the typical flight path to avoid severe storms.