Yes, but everything after the crash was a post-death "dream" of sorts.

Are you hypothesizing that the entire world is dreaming this? :D

Unless they are planning to use the plane as a weapon and do not want it to be found in the interim...

Usually, but today it's hard to know what motivates these folks and if they are dead who will get the word out. If it had been terrorists there could also have been people who would claim credit even if not involved. If anything, it's a trial for a much bigger initiative at some point in the future. I hope I'm wrong.

This entire thing is just so strange.

I thought this too but read somewhere today it's only around 14% of the time that someone claims it

I'm now leaning towards fire. Crew knew they were in trouble. They turned around but conditions in the cockpit deteriorated quickly. They put the plane on autopilot and evacuated, and never managed to regain entry to the cockpit.....

.....or stowaway CHUDS.

They are looking into the stability of the crew. Supposedly the pilot had a simulator in his living room. He knew every there was to know about the plane. Maybe he was taking it to his private garage? I cannot recall where I read it.

I'm starting to think Dr. Evil needs another hundred million dollars.

that pilot is known to have violated safety rules before, but why would they turn the transponder off?

any non-terrorism or non-pirate answer has to account for the transponder

Snakes?
http://www.richardcrouse.ca//wp-cont...on-a-Plane.jpg

Terrorist aliens

with snakes.

Or it is a dry run for something bigger.

Putin staged the whole thing to take media focus off of Crimea.

Apparently... In desperation some of the relatives have been calling the mobile phones of the passengers.
The phones are wringing but no one is answering. That tells me the plane may not be under water.

But... I'm not really believing this story.

Facebook page of the 19 yr old with the stolen passport...

As a parent...I can't imagine what his mother is going through...:-(

<div id="fb-root"></div> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=595185517231648&amp;set=a.102590639 824474.5225.100002206150798&amp;type=1" data-width="550"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=595185517231648&amp;set=a.102590639 824474.5225.100002206150798&amp;type=1">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pouria.nourmohammadi">Pouria NM</a>.</div></div>

OK, not to be insensitive, but why would that upstanding young man need a fake passport to travel the world? I'm missing part of this story.

^Because there is no opportunity for young, bright, hard-working people to succeed in their home country.

Good question...I don't know. It appears the young Iranian "may" have been part of a "human smuggling" operation so he could join his mother in Germany to start a new life with her.

I read it here: Iranian Teenager Pouria Nourmohammadi on Lost MH370 ‘Not a Terrorist’ - TIME