Dutch Investigators Say Multiple Objects Impacted The Plane

An initial report from Dutch investigators leading the MH17 investigation say the airplane broke up in mid-air after it was hit by multiple "objects" that "pierced the plane at high velocity."

The aircraft was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in territory held by rebel forces in eastern Ukraine. Most of those on board were from the Netherlands. The plane is thought to have been shot down by pro-Russian forces.

The BBC reports that the Dutch investigators are relying heavily on information from the Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders recovered from the wreckage of the aircraft. Those devices indicate that there were no onboard emergencies on the plane, the crew acted properly, and there were no mechanical issues with the Boeing 777. The report of the airplane being struck by multiple high-velocity objects is consistent with how the BUK missile system operates. The missile does not actually strike the target, but explodes close to the target creating shrapnel intended to cause maximum damage. The report does not say that a missile was responsible for the damage.

The report offers no clues as to which side of the conflict might have actually fired the missile, if that is what brought the airplane down. Both sides are known to have the weapons.

The report notes that the Dutch investigation team has not been able to actually recover any of the wreckage for forensic examination, and relied on photographs to reach their conclusions.

(Image from the Dutch Civil Aviation shows part of the cockpit roof indicating penetration by objects from outside the airplane)

FMI: Report