MH17 - What does it really mean?

When I read about the crash of MH17 news, I was pretty much apathetic about it. “It’s just part and parcel of the ongoing fiasco in Middle-East, and it is so far away that I wouldn't be affected much by it. It’s a MH flight anyway.” At least, that was what I thought, and I am sure that some of you feel the exact same way too.  

But things changed suddenly when I came in to work today and read following in the first e-mail,

“… a route that is frequently traveled by our colleagues in their business travels.”

I immediately realized that the crisis might not be too distant after all. At this time, I was beginning to feel a little afraid, a little paranoid. Was one of my colleagues travelling on that flight? Then, I read the second e-mail.

“… lost a colleague and his wife on flight MH17.”

Suddenly, what appeared to be inconsequential to me got me thinking, real hard. Maybe the disaster is not really that far from me than I thought. It got me pondering – Was Singapore Airlines still using the Ukrainian airspace at the time of the disaster? If so, was there an SQ flight nearby? Could it have been a SQ flight that was shot down instead of a MH flight?

I went to do some research.

Was Singapore Airlines still using the Ukrainian airspace at the time of disaster? Being a Singaporean and proud of my airport (airline inclusive), I presumed that Singapore Airlines would have the foresight to not fly over a war zone. I mean, surely we would not place unnecessary risk on our customer’s life, right?

“Singapore Airlines would like to advise customers that we are no longer using the Ukrainian airspace and have re-routed all our flights to alternative flight paths that are away from the region.”

Immediately, I checked the date that this was posted.

18th July.

When was MH17 shot down?

17th July.

Singapore Airlines was still using the Ukrainian airspace at the time MH17 fell from the sky.

Oh my. Could it have been us?

“At the point of time that MH17 was hit, SQ351 and AI113 were within 25km of MH17.”

25km seems like a safe distance, isn't it? It’s almost the North to South length of Singapore.

Well, not really. Let’s take a look at the weapon system that brought down the plane.

“… what was almost certainly a Russian BUK surface to air missile (SAM).”

For those of you who are not familiar with the Russia manufactured SAM, the ‘not-so-advanced’ model has a maximum range of 24km and is able to reach an altitude of 36,000 ft. MH17 was flying above the 'safe cruising altitude’ of 32,000 ft at 32,800 ft. Other than MH17, both SQ351 and AI113 were also within range of the missile system when the SAM was fired.

It could have been us; the ‘raining bodies’ falling from the sky could have been Singaporeans’. We merely survived the probability game.

Now, if it were a SQ flight that was shot down, how would we feel about it? Are we going to be equally apathetic about it? What if someone dear to us was on the flight?

I cannot speak for everyone, but if I had a loved one on board, I am going to feel just like how the families of the Dutch, Malaysian, Australian, Indonesian, Britons, Germans, Belgians, Filipinos, Canadians and New Zealanders feel – devastated. Otherwise, like the rest of their countrymen, I am going to realize the frailty of life and how we should treasure our lives and the people around us.

Now, I am writing this not to ask you to sign a petition, join the war, congregate in prayer, etc. In the same way that Rome was not built in a day, the war will not end overnight. We cannot change the world, but we can definitely change ourselves, hopefully not just for a month or two.

For a start, we could cherish the little things of life. Make it a habit to call your loved ones frequently to check on how they are doing; always say thank you to the people whom you want to thank; make it a point to apologize when you are in the wrong; set aside time to reflect and appreciate not only what we have as individuals (e.g. friends and family, etc.), but also what we have collectively as a nation (e.g. security, peace and stability, etc.). Be a bit more humane, show a little more compassion, give a little more and take a little less. Try to make the world a happier place.  

Let the lives lost not be in vain, but an overpriced lesson for all of us to appreciate the little things of life.

Sources:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-airlines/1270454.html

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2014/07/18/mh17-three-jets-crossed-that-war-zone-one-didnt-make-it/

http://www.singaporeair.com/jsp/cms/en_UK/press_release_news/140718-airspace.jsp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buk_missile_system#Comparison

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2696161/BREAKING-NEWS-

Malaysian-passenger-plane-carrying-295-people-crashes-Ukraine-near-Russian-border.html

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/mh17-was-barely-above-restricted-airspace-when-it-was-s-1607241838/1607369800/+pgeorge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOTAM

http://www.ibtimes.com/malaysia-airlines-mh17-passenger-manifest-released-full-list-passengers-1633424