Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

One can certainly read a lot into numbers. Recently, a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, C.J. Chivers, pointed out the numerous 17s and 7s involved with the tragic Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that crashed in eastern Ukraine in July 2014.

Chivers tweeted: “Haunting: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, Reg 9M-MRD, made 1st flight on 7-17-97. It met its end 17 years later, to the day-aviation official,” meaning Flight MH17, a Boeing 777, first flew on 7-17-97 and crashed 17 years later, on 7-17-14.

Of course, there was also the Dutch cyclist who was supposed to have boarded not only that very same Malaysia Airlines flight (MH17) but also the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March!

Maarten De Jonge, a cyclist who rides with Malaysia's Terengganu Cycling Team, switched from MH370 in March to avoid a lengthy stopover and instead took a different flight. Trusting his instincts, De Jonge noticed that a later flight was cheaper than the one he booked already booked which was the MH17. He cancelled that flight and took the cheaper, later flight saving his life once again.