Last updated on September 4th, 2025
Editor’s Note
In June 2025, we published a social media post debunking the viral “India air crush” photos, which falsely linked to several old incidents. That initial fact-check has now been consolidated and expanded into this comprehensive report.
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, according to the latest information. In the wake of the disaster, a surge of misleading videos and images flooded social media, many of which were falsely linked to the incident. These included old footage from unrelated plane crashes and unrelated scenes shared out of context. These fact checks provide evidence-based clarification on prominent cases. We continue to pay attention to the air disaster and eliminate false information.
Old Photos Misrepresented as Images of Indian Plane Crash
Claim:
Photos circulating online link to India’s air crash incident, showing an aircraft crash.
Fact check:
- A reverse image search traces the photo back to August 2020, originally taken by Satheesh Kumar KB for Mathrubhumi Archives. At the time, several media outlets used this image to report on the crash of Air India Express Flight IX-1344 on August 7, 2020.
- Unlike the recent Air India crash, which occurred in a densely populated residential area, the misattributed photo shows a grassy, hilly background.
- The recent Air India crash left the aircraft almost entirely destroyed due to a post-crash fire, with only scattered debris remaining, according to reports from Xinhua and United News of India, whereas the falsely linked image shows a plane split into relatively intact sections, highlighting a clear visual discrepancy.
Verdict: Out of context.
Claim:
Photos circulating online link to India’s air crash incident, showing the rescue process for the air crash.
Fact check:
- A reverse image search traces the photo back to 22 May 2010, taken by Associated Press, and India TV published it to report the air crash incident on that date.
Verdict: Out of context.
Old Video from Nepal Crash Falsely Linked to 2025 Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Claim:
A video allegedly shows the final moments of passengers aboard the plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025.
Fact Check:
- The video can be traced back to 15 January 2023. The footage is from the 15 January 2023 crash of Yeti Airlines Flight 691 in Nepal.
- The viral clip was live-streamed by passenger Sonu Jaiswal and shows a calm cabin before a sudden crash. Multiple news outlets, including BBC, Associated Press, and The Guardian, had covered this video in 2023, confirming it predates the recent Ahmedabad crash.
Verdict: Out of context.
Have a questionable video or claim? Submit it to Fact Hunter’s investigation team at [therealfacthunter@outlook.com].
Fact Checker: Chen Zhouyi
