"If flight MH17 was downed by a SA-11 (...)"

And what could be any other cause ??

The evidence (as seen on pictures of plane parts) shows that a passenger plane flying at high altitude on eastern course was destroyed by detonation of big fragmentation warhead very close to the cockpit area ( distance was few meters at most - the small area of scorched and burned surface and pattern of the shrapnel holes says that).

This could be only SAM or AAM (with fragmentation warhead) and it could not came from the west (the proximity fuse would trigger much earlier then, hitting the rear or center part of the plane).

The fact that missile detonaded passing very close to the cockpit area suggests a nearly head-on intercept course (missle aiming at the target's radar "center-of-mass" - we don't know where it was at this angle aspect, probably somwhere near central part of the plane, but possible radar reflectors are also wing leading edges, whole engines and cockpit with it's windows and front radome). The rest of the plane surface is much less radar-reflective. Missile steers with some possible final miss distance, too. On it's way the missile passes near cockpit and proximity fuse works on.

If we exclude possibility of heavy AAM (with fragmentation warhead) fired by a fighter plane from the eastearn direction, the only other possibility is a SAM with big fragmentation warhead fired from the east too. The Buk system was reported to be in place and shooting other aircrafts, it is said that sattelite data confirms a SAM intercept, not AAM by plane.

Any other weapon (guns) or inside explosion (bomb) doesn't fit to known damage of cockpit area.

A screenshot (taken not by me) of a witness' confession:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bs5C9rVCcAALAz8.png
Translation: at a Snezhnoe town local web-community, on July 17:

- Yesterday that Buk was towed through the center of our town. (invective), we forgot ourselves in playing war games. I hate myself.

- I'm not sure that it was that same Buk.

- I saw the rocket launch myself, then I rejoiced at knocking out the Ukrainians. I repent before God.

Lightning in region
 

This archive shows lightning present in Central Ukraine, and in Eastern Ukraine shortly before MH17 passed over.

http://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?bo_page=archive&bo_hour_range=24&bo_oldmap=0&bo_ol dani=0&bo_map=0&bo_year=2014&bo_month=7&bo_day=17&bo_hour_fr om=13&bo_animation=1&lang=en#bo_arch_strikes_maps_form

PUUHHHLEESE
 

There are many previous posts in this thread re the missile vs fighter theories

Most all re fighter have been debunked.
There have also been posts re the typical buk missile flight profile which seem to summarize as follows

a) very high speed M= 3 plus
b) very high altitude capability 70 to 80 K feet
c) flight profile via radar and proximity mention the missile typically leads the aircraft, dives on it from a higher altitude and explodes via proximity and/or contact

d) left side Cockpit damage AND shrapnel " skid' marks on left wing UPPER surface indicate that missile was at at wing level or slightly above when detonated

e) not so obvious is that almost any kind of ' corner' angle of aluminum makes a good reflector- consider the wing to body junction for instance

f) U.S tracking claims it was a missile

ALL of which support a missile from a general head on position.

g) what remains to be proven is WHO and WHY fired. :ugh:

Looking at photos of the debris I'm puzzled by evidence of such a profusion of pitting around the cockpit area and relatively little elsewhere. Is that an expected outcome from such a blast?

Speaking of AN-26 shot down a day or two before MH17. It was widely reported that it was flying at 6000 m or higher, above the range of most portables SAMs, so a BUK may have had something to do with it. In the videos of the BUK on the trailer being moved around, we see only one missile missing. Did the rebels have more than one BUK? Where is the wreckage of the AN-26? Who controls that area? Is there an investigation of what downed the AN-26 by the Ukraine authorities?

The R-27 contains an expanding rod warhead, where as in the pictures the weapon effects indicate a blast/fragmentation warhead, as used in the SA-11 warhead.

2 Speedstra

Yes, that's the key point, agree. But until the fragments are found physically and thoroughly analysed, we can't say for sure. Pictures with traces are not enough to serve as a 100% evidence...

Yes they are!
If the debris shows a certain distribution pattern of shrapnel. That is bona fide, hard, physical evidence. And if that pattern points to something other than the typical pattern of an R-27, then that rules out the R-27 with enough certainty to move on to the next likely suspect. Yup, the SA-11.

Far more convincing than your suppositions.

Seriously, you're grasping at straws. Your conspiracy has been debunked. Suck it up and go find a new method of blaming someone else.

There is evidence elsewhere, for example in a frame of an engine inlet cowl:
http://graphics.wsj.com/mh17-crash-m...l/IMG_0688.jpg

and here:
http://s18.postimg.org/4r8wbeybt/shrap.jpg
Can anybody identify if this part is from ahead or aft of the entry door?

Does anybody know what material these fibers are made of? Is it aramid/kevlar, glass, or something else?

http://s29.postimg.org/9e1j4k3jb/fibre.jpg

There are images from EOSDIS which show cloud cover at around 11:35 UTC but this is obviously not ideal. There may be other sources with a better time match.


https://earthdata.nasa.gov/labs/worl...5742,53.334961


This image was captured at approx 11:35 to the left of the central line and approx 9:55 UTC to the right.

@OleOle: I only have experience doing maintenance on gliders, but that looks like glass to me, Kevlar/Aramid have more of a yellow tone.

Consider the ramifications if the Ukraine had indeed shot down Pres. Putin? This would have triggered a full on immediate invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. I just don't see that as a valid strategy of the Ukrainian gov. Also even though the two jets looked remarkably similar in finish details any pilot can identify a 777 from miles away without seeing the detailed paint colors,

There may well have been fighter/bombers in the area considering the campaign
and the blast patterns are puzzling for sure, but I don't believe the fighter jet shoot down theory has much credence.

2 Olasek

You may not believe that but "Moscow TV" (even some chauvinistic channels which I hate) never elaborated on this idiotic conspiracy addressing the "attempt to shoot down the Putin's plane".

Regarding the "Russian invasion": The time for that option has gone long ago. Putin had already announced some 2 months ago he would not give such an order. Also the Russian parliament withdrew its formal permission to the president to use the military force abroad (read, in Ukraine). If they really needed that, it would be done in spring and took a couple of days.

I am not a fan of the current policy being carried out in Russia, but there is understanding here that "the stakes we are gambling are frighteningly high".

IMHO, now those rebels are a problem for Putin and actually he never liked them much. Recall that when they announced a referendum to separate from Ukraine (in March) Putin said "do not do that". They ignored his advice and arranged some chaotic voting. I am sure he was angry. Especially as the Ukrainian pres. candidate promised at that time he would not ban the Russian language in that part of the country (the point that actually started the fire) and that seemed enough for Kremlin. Then the rebels were asking for a military invasion in south-east and the answer was again "no". After that some voices were heard from there that the "rebels condemned Kremlin " who "let them down" and obviously it was not appreciated.

some "info" on CR/ER WARHEADS

TWA Flight 800 Shootdown

Vector of the missile ?
 

These two Akkermanns Images how the same item from different angles.
http://s10.postimg.org/ofgbli9rt/frontview.jpg
http://s30.postimg.org/9plqv9hvl/sideview.jpg

I think I identified the front skin above the starboard windshield. It has shrapnel and soot from the inside.

I added an image of the forward bulkhead with soot from here:
http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/drugo...7_original.jpg

Click on image for larger version:

http://s29.postimg.org/nlt3s70iv/small.jpg

The cockpit assembly image is from here:
http://www.patrasevents.gr/imgsrv/f/full/889451.jpg

Yep, I think you have got it right. It looks like a large amount of structure was deformed or opened up by the pressure wave (the crown skin in other pictures is pressed in between frames), and the impact with the ground has caused it to splay out.

From the account of the B-52 flier here and some other pictures around of SAM damage it does appear that the missile was extraordinarily close when it fused.

The front of the cockpit looks like such a strong structure, too.

You may not believe that but "Moscow TV" (even some chauvinistic channels which I hate) never elaborated on this idiotic conspiracy addressing the "attempt to shoot down the Putin's plane".


You are not truthful.


Russian media launched this theory with the reference to a source in the Russian state authority, RosAviation.
TV included. E.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2lgMGzn498


You can see that this theory actually was elaborated by the Russian state TV.


Please, stop spreading propaganda, it's a professional forum here.

Speaking of AN-26 shot down a day or two before MH17. It was widely reported that it was flying at 6000 m or higher, above the range of most portables SAMs, so a BUK may have had something to do with it. In the videos of the BUK on the trailer being moved around, we see only one missile missing. Did the rebels have more than one BUK? Where is the wreckage of the AN-26? Who controls that area? Is there an investigation of what downed the AN-26 by the Ukraine authorities?


1. The official Ukrainian version from the very beginning (at least from July 15) was that the An-26 was shot down from Russian territory, not by the separatists. Buk was not mentioned in the official statement. Strong suspicion was on a Russian fighter jet.


2. Rebels did not and do not have a Buk launcher. The one that shot down the MH17 was brought to Ukraine and returned back to Russia within one day, July 17. The only missile spent was on the MH17.
Rebels are in possession of two or three disabled (scrapped) Buk launchers. No missiles though.


3. The An-26 wreckage is in a field near Lugansk.


4. Rebels control the area.


5. There was no any information about such an investigation. Definitely, some military investigation has to be conducted, I mean an operational aspect.