Dutch Safety Board Heads Investigation Into Crash MH17

The Hague, The Netherlands (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Investigation effort in full swing, black boxes currently being
read out

The Dutch Safety Board took over formal responsibility for the air
crash investigation from Ukraine yesterday evening. The two black
boxes have since arrived in the United Kingdom, where they are
currently being read out and analysed by a team of international
specialists. The on-site investigation in Ukraine is currently in
full swing. Although investigators still do not have safe access to
the crash site, work to gather and analyse data from various sources
is underway in both Kiev and the Netherlands.

The first priorities will be to gather information from the crash
site, analyse the black boxes and coordinate the international team.
Ultimately, the air crash investigation should offer victims families
and the international community a clear and comprehensive overview of
the causes and course of the crash.

With the Dutch Safety Board now heading the investigation, the
international investigation team will have more freedom to go about
its tasks unhindered. The Dutch Safety Board is also responsible for
coordinating all participating investigators and investigation teams
from the countries involved (Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, Germany,
the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia) and the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The international
team currently consists of 24 investigators. A total of four Dutch
Safety Board investigators are currently operating in Ukraine.

Black boxes

On Tuesday evening the two recorders arrived in Kiev from Kharkiv
and were handed over to the Dutch Safety Board. They were then
shipped by air to the United Kingdom, where an international team of
specialists is working on the read-out and analysis of the data
stored in the recorders. As a part of this effort, the team will also
assess whether the black boxes may have been manipulated. The black
boxes are expected to provide information relevant to this
investigation. The analysis of black box data may take several weeks

On-site investigation

At the time of writing, the investigators have not yet been able
to visit the site of the crash and conduct their investigation under
safe conditions. In order to conduct an effective investigation, the
investigators must have the opportunity to move around the entire
investigation site freely, investigate materials and traces from up
close and secure them for further study where necessary. At present,
the investigators' safety has not been guaranteed. The Dutch Safety
Board and other parties involved are continually working to gain
access to the accident site, and are working with other parties to
organise effective security so that the investigators can do their
work under controlled and safe conditions. Despite the fact that
evidence and traces have been damaged or lost, the Dutch Safety Board
expects it will be able to gather sufficient relevant information
from the crash site.

Over the past few days, investigators have been working on the
investigation in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and in the Netherlands
on the basis of available film and photo materials and other sources
of information.

Investigation results

All information gathered as a part of this international
investigation will be submitted to the Dutch Safety Board. The Dutch
Safety Board will subsequently analyse this information, which will
serve as the basis for a report and - where necessary - relevant
recommendations. Other investigators or investigation boards will
support this process and comment on the draft investigation report
and its conclusions. The Dutch Safety Board will have the final say
as regards the contents and timing of all publications. If the
investigation shows evidence of any criminal or terrorist activities,
the information will subsequently be submitted to the relevant
authorities in accordance with applicable regulations. The Dutch
Safety Board's investigation will focus on ascertaining facts, rather
than apportioning blame.

In addition to the international accident investigation, the Dutch
Safety Board is also conducting two other independent investigations:
an investigation into the decision-making process with regard to
flight routes and an investigation into the availability of passenger
lists. These investigation reports are expected to be published ahead
of the main accident report.

ots Originaltext: Dutch Safety Board
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contact details / not for publication: For further details please
contact the spokespersons of the Dutch Safety Board, Sara Vernooij -
+31-6-23175701 and Wim van der Weegen - +31-6-23464277 or call the
general
telephone number: +31-70-333-70 00. E-mail:
communicatie@onderzoeksraad.nl,
Twitter: @onderzoeksraad.nl