Donetsk Oblast

Flight MH17 departed the gate at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands at 12:13 hours local time, bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was airborne at 12:31 (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 and just prior to entering Ukrainian airspace, the flight climbed to FL330. According to the flight plan, flight MH17 would continue at the flight level until the waypoint PEKIT, which is on the Flight Information Region (FIR) boundary between Kiev FIR (UKBV) and Dnipropetrovs’k FIR (UKDV). From waypoint PEKIT the flight plan indicates a climb to FL350 on airway L980 for the remaining part over Ukraine. According to ATC data, at 12:53 UTC the aircraft was flying within the Dnipropetrovs’k FIR, Control Sector 2, at FL330, controlled by Dnipro Control. At that time, Dnipro Control asked whether MH17 was able to climb to FL350 in accordance with the flight plan and also to clear a potential separation conflict with other traffic in the area. This traffic was Singapore Airlines flight SQ351 from Copenhagen, a Boeing 777, flying at FL330 and approaching from behind. The crew replied they were unable to comply and requested to maintain at FL330. This was agreed by Dnipro Control. As an alternative to solve the separation conflict, the other traffic climbed to FL350. According to ATC data, at 13:00 UTC the crew of flight MH17 requested to divert the track 20 NM to the left, due to weather. This also was agreed by Dnipro Control, after which the crew requested whether FL340 was available. Dnipro control informed MH17 that FL340 was not available at that moment and instructed the flight to maintain FL330 for a while. At 13:07 UTC the flight was transferred to Dnipropetrovs’k CTA 4, also with call sign Dnipro Control. At 13:19:53 UTC, radar data showed that the aircraft was 3.6 NM north of centreline of airway L980 having deviated left of track, when Dnipro Control directed the crew to alter their route directly to waypoint RND due to other traffic. The crew acknowledged at 13:19:56 hrs. At 13.20:00 hrs, Dnipro Control transmitted an onward ATC clearance to "proceed direct to TIKNA after RND", no acknowledgement was received. Data from the Flight Data Recorder and the Digital Cockpit Voice Recorder both stopped at 13:20:03 hrs. No distress messages were received from the aircraft. The airplane apparently broke up in mid-air as debris was found in a large area. The centre section of the fuselage 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, nearly four miles (6,5 km) west-southwest of Hrabove. The L2 and R2 doors along with various parts of the fuselage were found near Petropavlivka, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Hrabove. At the point of last contact it was flying 1000 feet above airspace that had been classified as restricted by Ukrainian authorities as a result of ongoing fighting in the area. In the preceding days before the accident two Ukraine Air Force aircraft that were shot down in the region: a Su-25 and an An-26 transport plane.

The crew was on his way to east Ukraine on a reconnaissance mission for pro-federalist militants positions. While overflying the region of Slavyansk, the aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile SAM that struck the right engine that caught fire. Three crew members were able to bail out and later found alive but injured. Out of control, the aircraft entered a dive and crashed in an open field located in Drobyshevo, between the villages of Krasny Liman and Nikolayevka. It was totally destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire and all five occupants were killed.

On final approach to Donetsk-Sergei Prokofiev Airport, during the last segment, the aircraft banked right to a angle of 48°, causing the right wing to struck the ground. The aircraft overturned and crashed in a grassy area to the left of runway 08, coming to rest upside down. Five passengers were killed while all other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. It was performing a charter flight from Odessa with 44 football fans on their way to a match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to the night and foggy conditions. The horizontal visibility was reported to be 250 metres with an RVR of 750 metres for runway 08 and vertical visibility of 200 feet.

The aircraft departed Anapa Airport at 1505LT and climbed to the assigned altitude of 11,700 metres. Due to the presence of stormy weather ahead, the crew was cleared to modify his route and changed heading to avoid the thunderstorm area with CB's up to 15 km. The aircraft encountered severe turbulences and climbed from 11,961 metres to 12,794 metres within 10 seconds, reaching a super critical angle of attack of 46° with a speed dropping from 350 km/h to zero, causing all three engines to stop. The crew was able to send a brief message then the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent in a flat spin. At an altitude of 3,300 metres, the crew informed ATC that control was totally lost. The aircraft crashed in a prairie located near Novgorodskoye, about 45 km northwest of Donetsk. It was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire, and all 170 occupants were killed.

The crew was completing a crop spraying mission in Sakhanka when, at low altitude, the engine failed. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft impacted a fence and eventually collided with trees. Both pilots were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The crew was completing a cargo service from Khmelnytskyi to Samara with an intermediate stop in Donetsk. The approach was completed by night and limited visibility due to thunderstorm activity and heavy rain falls. On final, the crew failed to realize the aircraft was not properly aligned and continued the approach when the aircraft landed hard 80 metres to the left of the runway. Out of control, it rolled for few dozen metres and eventually collided with a building. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were seriously injured.

Twelve minutes after its takeoff from Zhdanov Airport (Mariupol), while cruising at an altitude of 4,200 meters on a flight to Voroshilovgrad, the crew informed ATC about stability problems while some instruments were unserviceable. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and 38 seconds later, at an altitude of 2,750 meters, it disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in a field located near Donetsk. All 3 crew members and the sole passenger (the commander of VVVAUSh) were killed.

On approach to Zhdanov Airport, while descending between the outer marker and the inner marker, the pilot-in-command decided to continue under VFR mode while the SP-50 ILS system was not yet activated. While approaching the inner marker, the three engine airplane entered an area of fog when visual contact was lost. At an insufficient height, the airplane struck a 9-meter high concrete pole with its right wing that was partially torn off. The aircraft caught fire, rolled to the right at an angle of 90° then crashed 420 meters further. The wreckage was found 610 meters short of runway threshold and 140 meters to the right of its extended centerline. Three crew members and five passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The crew was engaged in a crop spraying flight (herbicides on corn field) for the sovkhoz (state farm) 'Gornyak' located in the Starobeshevo district of the Donetsk region. While flying at a height of about 50 meters, the captain made a sharp turn to the right when the airplane lost height and crashed 3,5 km west of Hirnyk. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire, a pilot was killed as the second occupant was seriously injured.

During the takeoff roll at Donetsk Airport, the crew decided to abort for unknown reason. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no casualties.