( CNN ) -- Today , we are all mourning the loss of 298 people who died in the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 . Ukraine and Russia have been trading blame on who is responsible for shooting down the aircraft . As more details come in , U.S. officials believe that pro-Russian rebels fired the missiles . Whatever the political repercussions are , the international community owes it to the deceased and their families to conduct an immediate , thorough , competent and , most important , independent investigation of what exactly happened and who is responsible . We can not afford to have another aviation accident investigation that appears to stumble at its outset . The families of the 298 innocents on board deserve competence and justice . Most of those on board were Dutch , but there were also Australians , Indonesians , Germans , at least one American and a Malaysian crew . Some of the world 's top AIDS researchers were among those killed . Clearly , given the political tensions between Ukraine and Russia and the disputed area in which the crash occurred , these two countries should not conduct the investigation . According to Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization , multiple parties are entitled to be involved in the investigation . While our own National Transportation Safety Board will have a say , since Boeing in the United States made the aircraft , we believe that the Dutch Safety Board should be the lead investigatory body , and it should be appointed immediately . The Dutch Safety Board was founded in 2005 , is noted for its thoroughness and technical skill , and has conducted many aviation investigations . Its leader , Chairman Tjibbe Joustra , is a career politician and the national coordinator for security and counterterrorism . Given his experience in both aviation and national security , he would be an outstanding fit for the work . It is vital that investigators get to the scene of the accident immediately . With unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian rebels are combing through the wreckage and may even have possession of the black box , security at the crash site must be established to preserve evidence and allow investigators to determine how and why this aircraft was shot down . It is critical that investigators obtain possession of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder , the `` black box . '' As the NTSB did in the investigation of TWA 800 using black box data , a sound spectrum study can provide telling information on where on the aircraft and when the explosion occurred . The Russians , the Ukrainians and the rebels should commit immediately to full transparency and to guaranteeing the complete safety of the investigative team . Anything short of that should bring immediate world condemnation and a denial of landing rights for flights originating in their respective countries . This is more than just an investigation of an aviation accident . Our global economy is greatly dependent on aviation . People are able to access the farthest corners of the globe for business and family purposes with remarkable speed and unprecedented safety . If there is an ongoing threat that commercial airliners will be shot down , our global commerce will slow to a halt . In the United States alone , 97.5 million passengers flew internationally on U.S. airlines in 2013 . The United Nations is meeting today on the MH17 tragedy , and it needs to show strong leadership to ensure that a true independent investigation is immediately launched . The world 's countries must stand up for safe and secure global travel , and by demanding a transparent and unfettered international investigation , they will take the first step in bringing those responsible to justice . CNN Flight 17 full coverage .
298 people lost their lives in the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine . Jim Hall , Peter Goelz : There must be an immediate and competent investigation . They say Russia and Ukraine should not conduct investigation ; leave it to the Dutch . Hall , Goelz : International community must stand up for safe and secure global travel .