Flight Details
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a Boeing 777-200 with registration 9M-MRD, departed from gate at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, Netherlands at 12:13 local time (10:13 UTC) en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The aircraft became airborne at 12:31 local time (10:31 UTC) from runway 36C and reached a cruising altitude of FL310 at 12:53 (10:53 UTC). Ninety minutes into the flight, at 12:01 UTC, prior to entering Ukrainian airspace, the aircraft climbed to FL330.
Air Traffic Control Communications
According to the flight plan, MH17 was to maintain FL330 until waypoint PEKIT on the boundary between Kiev and Dnipropetrovs’k Flight Information Regions, then climb to FL350 on airway L980. At 12:53 UTC, the aircraft was in Dnipropetrovs’k FIR, Control Sector 2 at FL330, controlled by Dnipro Control. Dnipro Control asked if MH17 could climb to FL350 to resolve a potential separation conflict with Singapore Airlines flight SQ351 (also a Boeing 777) approaching from behind at FL330. The crew declined and requested to remain at FL330, which was granted; SQ351 climbed to FL350.
At 13:00 UTC, the crew requested to divert 20 NM left due to weather, which was approved. They then inquired about FL340 availability, but Dnipro Control informed them it was unavailable and instructed them to maintain FL330. At 13:07 UTC, the flight was transferred to Dnipropetrovs’k CTA 4 (Dnipro Control). At 13:19:53 UTC, the aircraft was 3.6 NM north of airway L980's centerline after a left deviation. Dnipro Control directed the crew to alter route directly to waypoint RND due to other traffic, which they acknowledged at 13:19:56. At 13:20:00, Dnipro Control transmitted clearance to "proceed direct to TIKNA after RND"; no acknowledgment was received.
Loss of Contact and Debris
Data from both the Flight Data Recorder and Digital Cockpit Voice Recorder ceased at 13:20:03 UTC. No distress messages were received. The aircraft broke up in mid-air, with debris scattered over a wide area. The center fuselage section, along with parts of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, was found near Hrabove. The cockpit and lower nose section came down in a sunflower field in Rozsypne, approximately 6.5 km west-southwest of Hrabove. The L2 and R2 doors and various fuselage parts were found near Petropavlivka, about 8 km west of Hrabove. At the point of last contact, the aircraft was flying 1000 feet above airspace classified as restricted by Ukrainian authorities due to ongoing fighting. In preceding days, two Ukrainian Air Force aircraft (a Su-25 and an An-26) had been shot down in the region.
Probable Cause
Causes of the crash: a. On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines operated flight MH17, an airworthy Boeing 777-200 with the registration 9M-MRD, in cruise flight near the Ukrainian/Russian border at 33,000 feet, under the control of Ukrainian Air Traffic Control and was operated by a competent and qualified crew. b. At 13.20:03 hours (15.20:03 CET) a warhead detonated outside and above the left hand side of the cockpit of flight MH17. It was a 9N314M warhead carried on the 9M38-series of missiles as installed on the Buk surface-to-air missile system. c. Other scenarios that could have led to the disintegration of the aeroplane were considered, analyzed and excluded based on the evidence available. d. The impact killed the three persons in the cockpit and caused structural damage to the forward part of the aeroplane leading to an in-flight break-up. The break-up resulted in a wreckage area of 50 square km between the village of Petropavlivka and the town of Hrabove, Ukraine. All 298 occupants lost their lives.