Same Crash, New Caption: Viral Philadelphia Plane Crash Video Is From 2025
Viral posts claiming to show a devastating plane crash that just unfolded in Northeast Philadelphia sparked widespread alarm online — with scenes of rising smoke, crushed vehicles, and debris. The catch: the footage is from an older incident, recycled from a fatal Learjet 55 medical jet crash near Roosevelt Mall in January 2025.
A viral video claims to show a recent plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia with thick smoke rising over the area, extensive scattered debris, and heavily damaged vehicles along the roadway.
OBC found this claim to be misleading.
The viral posts
The user named @BackChannelQ posted this video on X on 7 November, with the caption, “BREAKING: The footage emerging from Northeast Philadelphia right now following a plane crash is absolutely apocalyptic. There is debris and smashed cars everywhere. This is horrific. FOLLOW up.”
As of 7 November, the video has amassed over 828.6k views and more than 2.4k likes.
Several other social media accounts in India have also circulated similar videos. X user Deepa Sharma shared the video with the same caption.
The post, shared on 7 November, has garnered 13k views.
Many users commented on the post, with sarcastic comments blaming political figures and parties for the incident. One user remarked, “Blame it on the new Chief of Staff.” Another user commented, “Well, Republicans aren’t in charge, so it’s the Dems’ fault, folks.”
Verifying the claim
We analysed the viral post, conducted a detailed search of official records and credible news reports, and found no reports supporting the claim in the viral video.
We conducted a reverse image search and geolocated the video’s keyframes. The location visible in the video keyframes matches the shop near 2500 Cottman Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19149, which is very close to Roosevelt Mall.
However, further examination provided additional context behind the viral video. News reports featuring similar footage and location details revealed that the clip actually shows an old crash. On January 31, 2025, a Learjet 55 medical jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport while en route to Springfield, Missouri. All six people aboard and one person on the ground were killed. The crash caused an explosion and set several homes on fire near Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.
We also traced similar footage to an Instagram post by local US news outlet CBS Philadelphia.
OBC’s analysis found that the viral posts claiming to show a recent plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia are misleading. The video, which claims to show the aftermath of a plane crash on 7 November, actually shows the January 31, 2025, medical jet crash near Roosevelt Mall. Several social media accounts circulated the old footage with false context, presenting it as a recent incident.
