How is there any honor in murdering hundreds of innocent people?

You can't prove that, and that's why we still have the discussion.

I'm sure there is an insurance payout at play as well.

There isn't, which is why the pilot would have made it difficult or impossible to prove that's what happened. Without a determination of wrongdoing, his family would be in the clear, and would get any life insurance or pension payouts.

I'm talking about other people's perceptions of him.

If he thought he could make it look like an accident, it looks "better" (to some people) to die in a freak plane crash than it does to kill themselves (which looks "weak").

The insurance money is probably a better explanation but I think the above psychology would apply to quite a few people who wouldn't want to saddle their family with the perceived embarrassment of committing suicide.