Originally Posted by
OleOle
Apparently the part that was closest to the detonation and has most shrapnel traces - the cockpit - came down in almost one piece.
I would be wary of assuming the cockpit was closest point. We don't have (I think) much in the way of info or wreckage photos about the port side behind the cockpit for a start, maybe it was shredded even smaller.
The Paris Match article that was quoted earlier in the thread (
Exclusif-Notre enquête sur les lieux du crash. Comment le MH17 a été abattu - Paris Match) is one of the best looking analysis I have seen so far, and concludes that the detonation point was next to business class. Not sure they are exactly right, but it is worth reading (google translate will do a passable job for non french speakers, or poor/rusty/lazy french speakers like me).