Where was the debris field found? In the middle of a parking lot, or in the forest beyond the suburbs? If the airplane ran out of fuel, there would be no smoke. If it was capable of stable flight, it would not be "erratic." Why do you think it is so unlikely that it ran out of fuel? Do you know how much fuel it was loaded with, and how much it had already burned off? If it was in hover mode, it wouldn't have traveled very far before running out of fuel (or the front fan failed). If the pilot wasn't on board, it wouldn't have been in afterburner. You are really operating on the basis of a fancy, not facts.
Where was the debris field found? In the middle of a parking lot, or in the forest beyond the suburbs? If the airplane ran out of fuel, there would be no smoke. If it was capable of stable flight, it would not be "erratic." Why do you think it is so unlikely that it ran out of fuel? Do you know how much fuel it was loaded with, and how much it had already burned off? If it was in hover mode, it wouldn't have traveled very far before running out of fuel (or the front fan failed). If the pilot wasn't on board, it wouldn't have been in afterburner. You are really operating on the basis of a fancy, not facts.