The first report into the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has concluded the B777 broke up in mid-air after being hit by "a large number of high-speed objects that penetrated the aircraft from outside".
There was "no evidence of technical or human error", according to aviation experts at the Dutch Safety Board.
Flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and carrying 298 people when it is believed to have been shot down, reportedly by pro-Russia rebels, over Ukraine in July (see news, July 17).
The Dutch investigators based their findings on information gained from the aircraft's black box flight data recorder.
It revealed no evidence of any technical malfunction nor of an onboard emergency prior to "numerous objects... [that] pierced the plane at high speed".
The report represents the first official findings into the crash. It does not attribute blame; a separate criminal investigation is being conducted by prosecutors in The Hague.
The safety board said in a statement: "The preliminary report presents factual information based on the sources available to the DSB. In the months to come, further investigation is needed before the final report can be written."
Following the MH17 disaster and the disappearance of flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean in March, resulting in a combined 566 deaths, MAS is struggling to survive.
Last month, it announced it will cut 30 per cent of its workforce and a number of long-haul routes as part of a recovery plan (see news, August 29).
Graham Smith
