[maggief]

I’ve heard it carried extra fuel form 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Reliable source?

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=242092:did-entire-crew-passengers-lose-consciousness-leaving-mh370-to-fly-on-auto-pilot?&Itemid=2#.UyNQRtwvtFI

But without pilot intervention it would probably have flown past Beijing as it still had about 2 hours of extra fuel.

[hoosiermama]

I would think that the abrupt turns would rule out auto pilot

But if navigation or other locating devices were out. Someone might be searching for land. It was dark,wasn’t it?