Claim:
On April 26, a video circulated on X, Threads and YouTube, claiming to show a Chinese-made C919 passenger jet making an emergency landing in a field in Zhangqiu District of Jinan, east China’s Shandong Province.
Fact Check:
- Aircraft Identification:
The aircraft in the video lacks distinctive features of the C919, such as the “V”-shaped central windshield and prominent lightning protection strips on the nose cone. The aircraft also appears to be missing wings, suggesting it is an incomplete model, rather than a functional aircraft.
- Transportation Evidence:
Reverse image searches and keyword analysis reveal that similar footage was shared by Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) users in east China’s Anhui province, showing a C919-marked model, with a registration number B-001A, being transported by truck. Additional images and videos depict this model being installed at a plaza in Wuhu City, Anhui Province.
(Source: Douyin users)
- Official Confirmation:
The original B-001A is the first C919 prototype, which completed its maiden flight on May 5, 2017. According to live flight tracker Flightradar24, B-001A has not recorded any flight activity in the past year and the paint scheme of the so-called “aircraft” in the viral video is also different from the real B-001A.
Zhang Xianzhong, the head of the manufacturer that made this model, confirmed to The Paper that the aircraft in the video is a model completed on April 25 in Zhangqiu and transported to Wuhu by April 27 for educational purposes. As per the plan, the model will feature a 1:1 scale simulated cockpit to offer an immersive aviation experience.
Verdict: Misleading.
The video does not depict an actual emergency landing of a C919 aircraft. Instead, it shows a full-scale model being transported for installation in Wuhu, Anhui, intended for educational and experiential use.
Reference:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gHfZdXBs32RAs-IxInqG1g
http://www.comac.cc/cpyzr/c919/
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/b-001a
