Malaysia Air Flight 17: Missile Blamed For Downing MH17

The crash of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 is being blamed on a Russian missile. Although the investigative report was not yet released to the public, United States officials reportedly confirmed MH17 was struck with a Buk missile. The officials also confirmed the missile originated in “a village in Russian rebel controlled territory.”

As reported by CNN, the investigative report will not be finalized until October. However, copies of the draft were distributed to several agencies for review — per international aviation law.

The agencies, which include the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, will have an opportunity to contribute to the report and correct any information deemed inaccurate.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 departed Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur at approximately 10:15 a.m. GMT on July 17, 2014. Four hours later, aviation officials lost all contact with the plane.

The following day, Malaysian Airlines confirmed the Boeing 777-200ER crashed in the Ukraine near the Russian border. All 283 passengers and 15 crew members were confirmed dead.

Immediately following news of the Malaysia Air flight 17 tragedy, a missile strike was determined to be the likely culprit. Although Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame for the incident, third-party investigators later concluded the surface-to-air missile was likely fired by Russian rebels who reside in the Ukraine.

In the days following the crash, U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Samantha Power suggested the missile was a SA-11. As reported by CNBC, Power further suggested the missile was fired by pro-Russian separatists.

Although numerous sources agreed MH17 was struck with a missile, which was likely fired by Russian rebels, the Dutch Safety Board launched an extensive investigation.

Report concludes #MH17 was shot down by a Russian missile one year ago, sources say: http://t.co/L9AiVEQFHS pic.twitter.com/zSzhIOcEX2

— CNN International (@cnni) July 16, 2015

According to several unnamed sources, the Dutch Safety Board concluded a Buk missile was fired at Malaysia Airlines flight 17 “from a village in Russian rebel controlled territory.” However, the board also concluded Malaysia Airlines was partially to blame in the MH17 crash.

As stated in the investigation draft, Malaysia Airlines failed to heed warnings set forth in NOTAM reports. Investigators said the reports are crucial, as they contain warnings about avoiding dangerous conflict zones.

According to reports, the Dutch Safety Board suggested Malaysia Airlines was neglectful, as they failed to refer to the NOTAM reports prior to entering the dangerous region.

Although it was previously suggested, the Dutch Safety Board’s final report is expected to confirm Malaysia Air flight 17 was struck with a missile. However, it is unclear whether the airline will review and revise their safety standards.

[Image via Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images]