Crashing the Crash Claim: Trainer Aircraft Falsely Passed Off as IAF Jet

A video of a private trainer aircraft incident in Maharashtra is being falsely shared as an Indian Air Force crash. OBC traced the viral footage to the Baramati runway incident involving a Cessna C172. Both people onboard were safe.

Footage depicting the aftermath of an aircraft crash is widely shared. Facebook and X accounts linked to Pakistan have shared the visual, alleging that an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft has crashed. However, analysis shows that the IAF has not reported any such crash, and the viral video was associated with a private trainer aircraft crash that occurred in Pune, Maharashtra.

The viral claim and the account that amplified it

On August 9, a Pakistan-based Facebook account, with a name in Urdu that translates to ‘Pakistan Soldier’, shared a 1-minute-29-second video showing the wreckage of an aircraft in a field, claiming that another Indian Air Force aircraft had crashed in Pune. The post’s caption reads, “#BREAKING Another Indian Air Force aircraft crashes in Pune.” The visuals appear to show the wreckage of a small aircraft, with several people gathered around the crash site. The claim implies that the incident occurred in Pune and involved an Indian Air Force aircraft.

The screenshot shows a Facebook post shared on August 9.

On August 10, Defence & Military Updates 360, a Pakistan-based Facebook account that describes itself as a ‘News and Media website’ in its profile bio, also shared the same video with a similar caption.

Screenshot shows a Facebook post shared on August 10.

Furthermore, on August 10 and August 11, we found that several Pakistan-linked  X accounts, including a Lawyer (according to the X profile bio), also shared the video with the exact caption that reads, “Indian Air Force Aircraft Crashes Again! An Indian Air Force aircraft crashed in Pune during landing. The Indian pilot survived but was injured,” suggesting a possible coordinated effort to propagate the claim.

The image shows X posts featuring the same captions.

How did we verify?

We examined the viral claim and found no official or credible media reports indicating any recent IAF aircraft crash. Subsequently, we identified the aircraft involved in the crash as a ‘Cessna C172’.

A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the Press Trust of India’s (PTI) X post dated August 9, which shared the same footage.

Screenshot of PTI post shared on August 9.

According to the caption, a trainer aircraft reportedly operated by a private organisation crashed near Baramati airstrip in Pune, Maharashtra.

A keyword search led us to The Hindu news report published on August 9.

According to the report, on August 9, a Cessna C172 trainer aircraft operated by Carver Aviation’s flying academy veered off the runway at Baramati airfield in Maharashtra during a training exercise. The aircraft had two people onboard: flight instructor Captain Chirag Shashikant Doifode and trainee Abhijeet Jundre. Both occupants were safe, with no injuries or fatalities reported. The aircraft sustained damage to its propeller, engine cowling and nose landing gear. The DGCA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the incident.

Our analysis found that the viral video does not show an Indian Air Force aircraft crash in Pune. The footage shows a Cessna C172 trainer aircraft operated by Carver Aviation’s flying academy that veered off the runway at Baramati airfield during a training exercise on August 9. The two people onboard were safe, with no injuries or fatalities reported. The claim that the aircraft belonged to the Indian Air Force is therefore false.