Why was the Plane flying over a war zone?

[Ripple]

DANVILLE (CBS SF) – During a phone interview with CBS News Thursday morning, Captain Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was questioned why Malaysia Airlines flight 17 would be flying over Ukraine’s border with Russia despite ongoing political unrest in the area.
Sullenberger, the veteran of the 2009 Miracle on the Hudson landing, is an aviation expert for CBS News, and was asked by Anchor Scott Pelley why a commercial plane would be flying over an area where two aircraft have been shot down just this week.
“That is one of the big questions right now,” said Sully. “The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred U.S. Airlines from flying over this area for some time.”
“It’s up to each individual nation, each individual airline how much risk they are going to accept,” he continued.
The Danville resident said that, if air traffic control personnel were using both primary and secondary radar, it’s possible that an image of a missile could have been captured on screen, if in fact that is what took down the plane.

If this is indeed a pilot that thought saving time and fuel could be achieved by flying over the Ukraine it would have to be one of the biggest miscalculations since the Titanic.

 

[deltex1]

Save money on fuel...and prevent climate change.

 

[Dayton3]

When people fly on long range international flights, they frequently fly over areas of conflict and unrest.

Remember the U.S. Navy cruiser shooting down the Iranian airliner in 1988 (or was it 87?) and killing 290 people?

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Who knows, Malaysian Airlines just seems to have this knack at losing airliners.

Maybe Ho Lee Fuk was piloting the plane.

Anyway, anyone want to buy my Malaysian Airlines frequent flier miles ?

I have enough to get you all the way to Tokyo. Provided of course the plane makes it that far.

 

[Jughead]

Really odd. The Crimea region is categorized as too dangerous to fly over due to military operations. Yet eastern Ukraine was not off limits even though two Ukrainian military aircraft were shot down there earlier this week?

 

[dilloduck]

I saw one report claiming bad weather forced the diversion.

 

[Peach]

DANVILLE (CBS SF) – During a phone interview with CBS News Thursday morning, Captain Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was questioned why Malaysia Airlines flight 17 would be flying over Ukraine’s border with Russia despite ongoing political unrest in the area.
Sullenberger, the veteran of the 2009 Miracle on the Hudson landing, is an aviation expert for CBS News, and was asked by Anchor Scott Pelley why a commercial plane would be flying over an area where two aircraft have been shot down just this week.
“That is one of the big questions right now,” said Sully. “The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred U.S. Airlines from flying over this area for some time.”
“It’s up to each individual nation, each individual airline how much risk they are going to accept,” he continued.
The Danville resident said that, if air traffic control personnel were using both primary and secondary radar, it’s possible that an image of a missile could have been captured on screen, if in fact that is what took down the plane.

If this is indeed a pilot that thought saving time and fuel could be achieved by flying over the Ukraine it would have to be one of the biggest miscalculations since the Titanic.

The first person who told me this said "Why would any plane with passengers go THERE?

 

[Kosh]

When people fly on long range international flights, they frequently fly over areas of conflict and unrest.

Remember the U.S. Navy cruiser shooting down the Iranian airliner in 1988 (or was it 87?) and killing 290 people?

And yes the US assumed responsibility and settle in international court for US$61.8 million, an average of $213,103 per passenger.

But that was the case of mistaken identity.

It may be in the case with the rebels thinking it was a Ukrainian troop transport, based on the old radar tech they have acquired, but we may never really know..

 

[Mad Scientist]

This reminds me of the KAL shootdown.

 

[Desperado]

Why was the Plane flying over a war zone?
This is the million dollar question... Someone has some explaining to do.

 

[Ripple]

Really odd. The Crimea region is categorized as too dangerous to fly over due to military operations. Yet eastern Ukraine was not off limits even though two Ukrainian military aircraft were shot down there earlier this week?

Beats me. I'm waiting for the NBC network news to tell me what to think.

 

[martybegan]

When people fly on long range international flights, they frequently fly over areas of conflict and unrest.

Remember the U.S. Navy cruiser shooting down the Iranian airliner in 1988 (or was it 87?) and killing 290 people?

My Fiancee's flight from JFK to Dubai flew over Iraq with no issues. It was an Emirates flight, but at 35k feet its probably hard to ID an airplane's airline.

Also planes just don't fly willy nilly. They fly in air corridors, like highways in the air. This appears to be this flights normal air corridor.

You have to REALLLY want to shoot at a plane flying at 33k feet.

 

[Nutz]

Why was the Plane flying over a war zone?

To get to the other side...of course.

 

[Katzndogz]

Commercial airliners are supposed to fly too high to be risking being shot down. New missiles have no problem going that high. Malaysian pilots don't seem to pay attention very well.

 

[Dayton3]

Commercial airliners are supposed to fly too high to be risking being shot down. New missiles have no problem going that high. Malaysian pilots don't seem to pay attention very well.

Old missiles have no problems reaching that height.

In the 1960s, first generation SA-2s were used to shoot down U-2s flying at 70,000 feet.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Bush's Fault

 

[LordBrownTrout]

They have been flying that route before and during the current conflict. Why they were flying over is not the question.

 

[Siete]

there is no WAR, political unrest isn't a war. If that were the case 2/3rds of the Eastern world would be void of air traffic.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Why was the Plane flying over a war zone?
This is the million dollar question... Someone has some explaining to do.

Sum Ting Wong must have been at the controls again.

 

[Siete]

Why was the Plane flying over a war zone?
This is the million dollar question... Someone has some explaining to do.

Sum Ting Wong must have been at the controls again.

that was Wa To Lo