Shocking, but this has happened before

The downing of flight MH17 was sudden and shocking. But there has been a long history of planes being shot down, where aviation meets warzones.

Iran Air Flight 655

In 1988, an Airbus A300 en-route to Dubai was shot down by the US navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, killing all 290 passengers and crew.

The Vincennes launched a SM-2MR surface-to-air missile to bring down the aircraft, mistakenly believing it to be an Iranian F-14. The United States eventually paid a settlement of $61.8 million to the families of those killed.

Transair Georgia, three flights 

Over three days in September 1993, three separate attacks brought down civilian aircraft belonging to Transair Georgia. The aircraft were brought down by rebel forces with a combination of surface to air missile and artillery fire, killing a total of 136 people.

Siberia Airlines Flight 1812

The Ukrainian military initially denied shooting down a Siberia Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 in 2001. However officials later admitted that the airline was likely struck by an errant S-200 surface-to-air missile used in a training exercise.

The Soviet-era aircraft crashed in a remote area, killing an estimated 78 people.

Arkia Airlines Boeing 757

In 2002, two Strela-2 shoulder-mounted missiles were fired at an Israeli-owned Boeing 757 after take-off from Moi International Airport.

The rockets missed the aircraft, and the charter service continued on to its original destination of Tel Aviv. The attack was initially connected to militant Al-Qaeda sympathisers.

DHL Airbus A300 Cargo Plane

A cargo plane departing Baghdad International Airport in 2003 was struck on the left wing by a Strela-3 surface-to-air missile. Despite severe hydraulic damage and fire, the pilots were able to return to the airport without injury or significant damage.

Due to the failure of the hydraulic systems, the flight crew managed the recovery and landing using only engine thrust to adjust their trajectory.

Reporting: Chris Wilkinson