John Abend : Pilots prepare for emergencies . 9/11 added terror , MH17 added missile evasion . Some other plane could have avoided missiles , but he says crew followed air traffic control . He says pilots ' n't just change course , they follow regulations . Plane already at higher altitude . Abend : Airplanes not able to avoid missiles . If the reported circumstances of MH17 's crash are accurate , for an airliner to have evaded a high-speed radar-guided missile would have been beyond its maneuvering capacity . Such technology would be quickly obsolete .
John Abend : Pilots prepare for emergencies . 9/11 added terror , MH17 added missile evasion . Some other plane could have avoided missiles , but he says crew followed air traffic control . He says pilots ' n't just change course , they follow regulations . Plane already at higher altitude . Abend : Airplanes not able to avoid missiles . Such technology would be quickly obsolete .