Malaysia Airlines Flight 17: Why Was the 777 Flying over a War Zone?

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 09:03 PM ET

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Malaysia Airlines 9M-MRD (2011)
(Photo: Alan Wilson via Creative Commons)

Key Takeaways:

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile, likely fired by Russian-backed separatists who acquired the launcher from Moscow.
The passenger airliner was flying over the war zone on an ICAO-approved route for efficiency, at an altitude (33,000 feet) that was above previously issued flight restrictions for shoulder-fired missiles.
Despite following approved routes and altitudes, the separatists used a more potent, radar-guided missile system, making the aircraft a "sitting duck."
The article concludes that the ultimate culpability for the tragedy lies with those who fired the missile, not with the airline or its crew.

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Unlike the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 last spring little mystery remains about what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in the skies over eastern Ukraine last week.

We knew very quickly that the Boeing 777-200 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, and we soon learned that the culprits of the attack likely were Russian-backed separatists who acquired the missile launcher from Moscow.