Let me get this straight (spoilers)
The villagers wanted Conroy, and so somehow knew which plane he was going to get on in that mad chaotic scramble at the beginning, so they could then have their pilot kill the real pilot (and naturally, be able to fly that particular kind of plane). Then their plan involved the plane running out of fuel in just such a location near Shangra-La, and then jeopardized the lives of everyone on board with a crash landing? Seriously??
This is ludicrous.
"Worthington, we're being attacked by giant bats!"