Report: MH17 hit by high-energy objects, broke apart midflight

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A report published Tuesday stated Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was hit by several high-energy objects, causing it to break apart mid flight with no pilot error.

The Dutch Safety Board conducted the investigation which supported suspicions that the plane was hit by a missile. The "high-energy objects" were shrapnel radiating from the weapon.

"The initial results of the investigation point towards an external cause of the MH17 crash," said Tjibbe Joustra, chairman of the Dutch Safety Board.

They found no technical or pilot error contributing to the crash. The last communication from the cockpit was a routine notification of route change seven seconds before the recorders went offline. The abrupt end of data recording was attributed to an inflight breakup caused by damage to the integrity of the plane caused by the shrapnel.

The Boeing 777 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine July 17. Pro-Russian separatists were accused of shooting the plane. Russia, which is believed to be backing the rebels, denied any involvement in the downing.

The investigators said they would not seek culpability, but Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday the intelligence reports were "pretty conclusive."