Apparently you are not a geography teacher! Have you been following this story or is your theory that wacky?
Last I heard it was flying AWAY from the Pacific toward the Indian Ocean.
Aircraft can fly with what amounts to a cell tower on board. They pick up pings from cell phones. They are used in the US to locate missing persons.
IF the cell phones are not under the INDIAN OCEAN, which is my theory, they can be located.
In other words, I believe the passengers are still alive.
Cell phones don't operate over 5,000 feet.