“You get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach [...] We started getting butterflies. Your heartbeat starts going,” Barry said of his reaction to the news that the flight had crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing all 295 people onboard.

A couple who were meant to fly on ill-fated Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 have spoken of the ‘sick feeling’ they are experiencing after it crashed this evening.

Barry Sim and his wife Izzy were at the airport when they were told there were not enough seats for them and their young baby. The Scottish couple decided to switch to a later KLM flight.

"You get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach... We started getting butterflies. Your heartbeat starts going," Barry said of his reaction to the news that the flight had crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing all 295 people onboard.

Izzy added; "There must have been someone watching over us and saying ‘you must not get on that flight’.

"We are very loyal to Malaysia Airlines and we always want to fly with Malaysia Airlines."

"But do you know what, at this moment we are so glad to be on that KLM flight rather than that Malaysia Airlines flight," she said.

Barry said the experience would not put him off flying, whereas his wife is thinking different now.

"In my mind lightning never strikes twice in the same place so I am still philosophical that you get on the flight and you go about your life. I know my wife doesn't feel like that. Probably the last thing she wants to do now is fly, especially to Kuala Lumpar," he said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A Malaysian expert (C) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk REUTERS A Malaysian expert (L) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk REUTERS Members of the media take pictures as a pro-Russian separatist places black boxes belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on a desk, before their handover to Malaysian representatives, in Donetsk REUTERS A satellite image shows the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine REUTERS Portraits of (L-R) Jenny Loh, her mother Tan Siew Poh and Popo Fan, who were victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 plane crash, are seen as a man lays flowers during a silent march held in their memory outside the restaurant, which Loh and Fan owned, in Rotterdam REUTERS Parts of the wreckage are seen at a crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), Donetsk region REUTERS A passenger carriage with the word "Donbass", part of the train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine REUTERS Journalists work after a train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine arrived in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine REUTERS A train carrying the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine arrives in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine REUTERS Protesters chant slogans demanding justice for the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 as they follow the lead of organisers of a rally held by UMNO's youth wing outside the Russian embassy in Kuala Lumpur REUTERS Members of the youth wing of UMNO, Malaysia's largest political party, wave placards at a demonstration demanding justice for the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 outside the Ukrainian embassy in Kuala Lumpur REUTERS A guard stands on a train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine after it arrived in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine REUTERS In this image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, showing part of the wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 295 people after it was shot down Thursday as it flew over Ukraine, near the village of Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. AP Photo / Channel 1 AP In this image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, showing flames rising from part of the wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 295 people after it was shot down Thursday as it flew over Ukraine, near the village of Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. AP Photo / Channel 1 AP In this image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, showing part of the wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down Thursday as it flew over the country and plumes of black smoke rose up near a rebel-held village Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. AP Photo / Channel 1 AP In this image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, people walk amongst the debris at the crash site after a passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down Thursday as it flew over Ukraine, near the village of Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. AP Photo / Channel 1 AP A picture taken of Malaysia MH17 as it took off from Schipol Airport shortly before it was shot down over Ukraine Smoke rises rises from the crash site of Malaysia MH17 shortly after it was believed to have been shot down over Ukraine AP Armed pro-Russian separatists stand near the crash site of Malaysia MH17 REUTERS Wreckage from Malaysia MH17 near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine REUTERS An armed pro-Russian separatist stands the Malaysia MH17 crash site A part of the fuselage of Malaysia MH17 can be seen in a field at the crash site in Ukraine REUTERS A map of the region where flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine A woman reacts to news regarding a Malaysia MH17 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Emergency workers at the crash site of Malaysia MH17 in Ukraine REUTERS An emergency worker puts fires out at the Malaysia MH17 crash site REUTERS An armed pro-Russian separatist takes pictures at the crash site of Malaysia MH17 REUTERS Emergency workers at the Malaysia MH17 crash site Wreckage from Malaysia flight MH17 strewn across the crash site Wreckage of Malaysia MH17 at the crash site in Ukraine REUTERS The arrivals screen in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang showing Malaysia MH17 REUTERS Smoke rises from the debris of Malaysia MH17 at the crash site in Ukraine AP Fires burn as night falls on the crash site of Malaysia MH17 in Ukraine AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Malaysian expert (C) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk

The passenger plane crashed in the Ukraine near the Russian border killing all 295 passengers at approximately 4.30pm (GMT) this evening.

Interfax news agency said that the plane was shot down at an altitude of 10km (33,000 feet), a typical cruising altitude for airliners.

Within hours, footage and photos of the stricken plane and crash site circulated online, many showing graphic images of bodies.

The deceased are reported to be scattered over a distance of 15km.

A section of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has been closed off for family and relatives of passengers on flight MH17.

Online Editors