KUALA LUMPUR: The wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will be reassembled for investigations at the Gilze Rijen Air Base in the Netherlands next week.
The Dutch Safety Board said on Monday that the wreckage had been collected by the Ukrainian emergency services under Dutch supervision and would be transported to the air base.
It, however, did not specify an exact date.
“The Defence Ministry has prepared the transportation of the wreckage and the loading of the first lorries will start today (Monday).
“Logistic specialists from the ministry have considered the pros and cons of the various options for transporting the wreckage and have concluded that the most efficient method under the present circumstances is to transport the wreckage to the Netherlands by road,” the board said.
On Nov 23, it was reported that Dutch experts had completed the recovery of the wreckage from the crash site in eastern Ukraine.
Malaysian military experts had suggested that MH17, which was flying at 33,000 feet, was first crippled by an R-60 “Aphid” air-to-air heat-horner.
The NST had reported that experts were analysing the warhead composition of the BUK-M1 surface-to-air missile and the Vympel R-60.
The preliminary report released on Sept 9 by the Dutch Safety board, however, stated that except for a few other jetliners, no other combat aircraft were in the area.
It was reported yesterday that Malaysia had been accepted as a full member of the Joint Investigation Team, joining Netherlands, Australia, Belgium and Ukraine.
Flight MH17, with 298 passengers and crew on board, 43 of whom were Malaysians, was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam.