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Old, Unrelated Images Falsely Linked To IAF Fighter Jet Crash in Rajasthan

These images are old and not related to the recent air crash in Churu.

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A set of two visuals showing a crashed plane has gone viral to claim that it shows the recent (9 July) Indian Air Force's (IAF) jet aircraft crash in Churu, Rajasthan, where both pilots sustained fatal injuries.

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as both the images are old and unrelated to the 9 July crash in Churu.

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What we found: We checked both the images separately and found that both the images were not related to the recent jet crash.

Image 1: We ran a Google reverse image search on the left visual first and were led to a report by The Hindu from 21 May 2023. It included the same image as the viral post.

  • The report noted that IAF grounded its MiG-21 fighter fleet after a crash on May 8 in Rajasthan that killed three civilians on the ground, for checks as per the standard procedure.

  • On 8 May 2023, a MiG‑21 fighter jet crashed during a routine training sortie from Suratgarh Air Force Station in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan.

  • The pilot reported a technical snag shortly after takeoff, attempted to steer the aircraft away from populated areas, however, left three dead, reported the New Indian Express.

  • The IAF also posted on their official X page on this matter on 8 May 2023.

Image 2: We ran another Google reverse image search and were led to a report by the Times of India from 29 January 2023. It included a similar frame as the viral post.

  • The report noted that two fighter jets, a Mirage-2000 and a Sukhoi Su-30 crashed during a routine operational flying training mission in Madhya Pradesh's Morena.

  • It noted that the IAF recovered the black box of a Mirage 2000 fighter and part of the flight data recorder.

  • The crash claimed the life of the Mirage’s pilot, Wing Commander Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, while the two Sukhoi pilots ejected safely and were hospitalised with minor injuries.

Conclusion: These images are old and falsely shared and linked to the jet crash in Churu on 9 July.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

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