It's a given that following any tragic event in the modern era, from Pearl Harbor to the events of September 11th 2001, outlandish explanations regarding what really happened invariably crop up over night.

In such cases the official story endorsed by major media outlets and governments is usually viewed with great skepticism by the so-called conspiracy theorists, as they suspect it all to be a guise by which the powers-that-be are hiding something from public view--something they don't want you to know. 

These theories regarding the real "truth" of tragic events rarely make sense logically, and can survive decades on only the scantest of "evidence," yet that doesn't stop thousands--if not millions--from subscribing to them.

Within 24 hours of the tragic air disaster involving Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, dozens of theories involving government cover-ups and vanishing planes are already circulating online. We've compiled a list of the most outlandish, yet coherent, conspiracy theories regarding the incident.

According to the Washington Post, here's a list of some of those theories found online:

A Major Country Destroyed MH-17 to Start World War III

There are different theories as to which country is responsible for intentionally bringing down MH-17, yet most of them center around the idea that either Russia, the United States or Israel is responsible for the crash. The idea is that this incident provides the perfect pretext for either a military incursion into the area by a yet to be involved nation (the U.S), or escalated involvement by one that's already involved (Russia). 

Some point to a tweet on June 17th by a Russian, allegedly predicting an airliner containing innocent civilians would be shot down in the area sometime soon.

This theory, while comprehensible, seems to be a very convoluted way to start a war. 

MH-17 was Shot Down to Divert Attention Away from [INSERT STORY]

From the current conflict in Gaza to the controversy surrounding the recent surge in undocumented immigrants crossing the United States' southern border, conspiracy theorists suppose that the plane being shot down was merely a way to divert the world's eyes away from something "they" don't want us to see. 

The Plane was Destroyed to Prevent the Discovery that AIDS/HIV is Man-Made

Word has since come out that many of the passengers on MH-17 were prominent AIDS researchers on their way to an AIDS conference in Australia. Some say that the research of these experts was about to uncover something groundbreaking involving the disease, like perhaps that it was man-made. 

Ukraine mistook MH-17 for Vladimir Putin's personal jet

Apparently this rumor came straight from the Russian state-run media before making its rounds elsewhere. Part of the reason for this speculation is that Putin's personal plane bears a similar color scheme to the Malaysia Airlines 777 that crashed.

This theory has supposedly been debunked by the fact that Putin hasn't flown over Ukraine in months and was actually on his way back from Brazil when the incident occurred. 

The Plane Actually Wasn't Shot Down

This theory purports that the plane was intentionally diverted off of its normal flight path and sent into eastern Ukraine. Conspiracy theorists then say the plane was intentionally either blown up (by explosives on board) or simply crashed into the ground. 

MH-17 is Really MH370

Both planes were Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777s and MH370 was never found. Case closed, right? This is similar to the World War III theory in that MH370 was allegedly stolen only to be outfitted with explosives and then detonated at the right time over a volatile eastern Ukraine, in an attempt to set off a larger conflict. 

Well there you go. You can decide for yourself. But we recommend sticking with the logical and obvious explanation based on evidence.