Fact check: Video shows 2013 plane crash in Afghanistan, not recent crash in Nepal
Chris MuellerThe claim: Video shows recent plane crash in Nepal
A Jan. 15 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows what appears to be dashcam footage of a plane falling from the sky and crashing near a road.
"There were 53 Nepali citizens, 5 Indian nationals, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, 1 Irish, 1 Argentinian, and 1 French national in the aircraft that crashed near #PokharaAirport: Nepal Airport Authorities," reads the video's caption.
The video was shared more than 100 times in 10 days.
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Our rating: False
The video is miscaptioned. It shows a plane that crashed in Afghanistan in 2013, not a recent plane crash in Nepal.
Video shows 2013 plane crash in Afghanistan
A Yeti Airlines flight crashed shortly before 11 a.m. local time on Jan. 15 near the resort town of Pokhara, Nepal. The plane was completing a 27-minute flight from Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.
At least two U.S. citizens and two permanent residents were among the 72 people who died in the crash, according to the State Department.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Fact check:No evidence of negative health effects from airplane contrails
A pair of videos showing the moments before the crash have circulated on social media – one recorded inside the plane, another from the ground.
But the video shown in this Facebook post is not recent. It shows a plane crash that took place April 29, 2013, shortly after a Dubai-bound Boeing 747-400 cargo plane took off from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
A military vehicle aboard the plane broke free and collided with critical operating systems, likely leading to the crash, according to the Associated Press. The seven crew members, all U.S. citizens, were killed in the crash.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment.
Check Your Fact and Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- USA TODAY, Jan. 17, Video shows last seconds inside Nepal flight; co-pilot's husband died in earlier crash; what we know
- USA TODAY, Jan. 19, 'Deeply saddened': At least 4 US residents among 72 people killed in Nepal plane crash
- U.S. Department of State, Jan. 18, Department Press Briefing
- Associated Press, Jan. 16, EXPLAINER: Why did Nepal plane crash in fair weather?
- NBC News, Jan. 16, Video shows final moments before deadly Nepal plane crash
- CNN, May 1, 2013, Cargo plane crashes in Afghanistan, killing 7 Americans
- CNN, May 2, 2013, Video appears to depict plane crash in Afghanistan
- Associated Press, July 14, 2015, Panel: Shifting cargo likely caused 2013 Afghanistan crash
- Check Your Fact, Jan. 19, Fact check: This is not a recent video of the plane crash in Nepal
- Reuters, Jan. 18, Fact Check-Video purporting to show plane crash in Nepal on Jan. 15, 2023, dates to at least 2013
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