MH17: Black humour turns chillingly accurate

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 photographed by passenger Cor Pan while being refuelled at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.

For Cor Pan, a Dutch holidaymaker heading for Kuala Lumpur with his girlfriend Neeltje Tol, boarding a Malaysia Airlines flight was an irresistible opportunity for black humour.

As he made his way down the sky bridge from gate G03 at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, he paused to take a picture of the Boeing 777-200 that he and Ms Tol were about to board.

In a reference to the disappearance of flight MH370 in March, Mr Pan posted the picture on his Facebook page with the message: "If the plane disappears, this is what it looks like."

His friends responded by wishing him a good holiday and reminding him to send back lots of photos, but within hours their messages would turn to fear, and then despair.

Soon after the plane crashed, messages on his Facebook page, which hours earlier had been so joyful, spoke only of grief.

One wrote: "There are too many things that go wrong ... am afraid it is indeed your plane. Rest in peace Cor and Neel.

"To the family, a lot of strength with this incredible loss."

Another added: "I don't [want] to believe this is true because this is too awful for words."