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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
AI image detection tool Sight Engine flagged the videos as likely to be AI-generated. Similar false posts have been circulating online since the deadly June 12 crash.
Claim: Facebook videos show the aftermath of the Air India plane crash last June 12.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: One video posted on Facebook has garnered more than 28,500 reactions, 1,100 comments, and 2,000 shares as of writing. Another video has 111,000 reactions, 1,900 comments, and 2,800 shares. Both videos, posted on June 14, claim to show footage of the Air India plane that crashed on June 12 in Ahmedabad, India.
The caption of the first video says, “Air India flight crashes into medical college building. 204 bodies retrieved.”
The second video — captioned in Filipino with “Grabe ang pangyayari di mo inaasahan talaga (What happened was intense, you really wouldn’t expect it)” and referencing Air India — had comments that were also in Filipino, expressing sympathy for the victims and their families.
The facts: AI image detection tool Sight Engine identified a screenshot from the first video as 99% likely to be AI-generated, while the second video was flagged as 70% likely to be AI-generated.
Reverse image searches of screenshots from both videos don’t show any reliable media outlets that reported the same exact images.
Neither post included any disclosures on AI use. Several comments on the first video have flagged the post for being AI-generated.
Air India crash: An Air India plane flying from Ahmedabad City to London’s Gatwick Airport came down minutes after takeoff on June 12, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport. The incident, now considered India’s worst aviation disaster in a decade, took all but one life among the 242 passengers and crew. At least 30 people on the ground were also killed.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. Investigators are assessing if there are any issues related to engine thrust and flaps, and why the landing gear remained open after takeoff. According to a June 18 report by the Wall Street Journal, the plane’s emergency power generator was operating when it crashed. The preliminary finding raises questions about whether the plane’s engines functioned properly during takeoff, the report said.
The aircraft model, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has a generally strong safety record according to experts, with no recorded fatal incidents until the Air India crash. (READ: What is known about the Air India crash and its investigation)
Previous fact checks: Rappler, along with several fact-checking groups, has reported other false posts related to the Air India plane crash:
Read more Rappler fact checks on AI-generated content here. – Christa Escudero/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to the #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
