FACT CHECK: Viral photo of crashed Air India plane is AI-generated

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AI image detection tool Sight Engine flagged the photo supposedly showing the crashed Air India plane on fire as 99% likely to be AI-generated

Claim: A Facebook photo of a plane on fire was the Air India plane that crashed on June 12.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The photo posted by digital creator Reein Recopelacion on Facebook has over 4,300 shares as of writing, with over 35,000 reactions and over 2,000 comments.

The image, posted on June 12, claims to show the aftermath of the Air India plane that crashed on the same day in Ahmedabad, India.  

The post’s caption says, “June 12, 2025. Air India plane with 242 onboard crashes after take off at India Ahmedadad (sic) Airport.”

The facts: AI image detection tool Sight Engine identified the Facebook photo as 99% likely to be AI-generated.

Reverse image searches of the photo did not show any reliable media outlets that reported the same exact image. The post did not include any disclosures on AI use, misleading social media users.

Since the incident, various false claims have gone viral online, with old media being misrepresented as recent images from the plane crash. Other viral videos that claim to show the aftermath of the incident have also been flagged by Sight Engine as likely AI-generated.

Air India crash: On June 12, an Air India plane bound for London crashed in Ahmedabad, killing at least 271 people, including several people on the ground. It hit a medical college hostel just after takeoff. One person survived the crash.

According to the Indian aviation ministry, the pilots issued a mayday call and later lost height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, then crashed into the medical college hostel.

Investigators are checking engine problems, flap issues, and landing gear to determine the cause of the crash. One of the two black boxes has been found on the roof of the building where the plane crashed.

Fact check: Rappler has debunked several AI-generated media claiming to feature images from the Air India crash:

• FACT CHECK: Viral videos of Air India crash are AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Video of woman who missed Air India flight is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Viral video of smoke-filled plane cabin not from Air India crash
• FACT CHECK: Video doesn’t show last moments of Air India crash

– Laurice Angeles/Rappler.com

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