Airplane

Did a widely-shared clip show Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian airbases, in retaliation against a series of drone attacks on Russian warplanes in June 2025? No, that's not true: The footage was old, and dated to July 2024 at the latest. It appeared to show Russian missiles striking a children's hospital in Kyiv, not airbases. The claim appeared in a…

Did a video shared widely in April 2025 contain an authentic audio recording of a Spirit Airlines Flight 861 pilot landing at an airport despite orders from an air traffic controller to cede the runway to the U.S. president? No, that's not true: the audio was fake, and the incident was a fabrication. The account that originally posted the video…

It's that day of the year again! April Fools' Day is upon us. We're keeping a running list of the online jokes we spot this year. Seen one we missed? Email [email protected] and let us know! Flightradar24 Airplane tracking website Flightradar24 revived the supersonic Concorde aircraft and made one fly from London to New York, currently being tracked by over…

Was the plane that crashed in the parking lot of a retirement facility near the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Airport a "modified Cessna Golden Eagle" registered to a "shell company in Delaware" named Echelon Air Logistics? No, that's not true: The plane that crashed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, March 9, 2025, was a Beechcraft A36TC with the registration number N347M. This…

Did Gene Hackman vow to "corroborate everything in the Epstein client list" in an X.com post a year before his death? No, that's not true: The user name seen in the purported February 2024 tweet does not exist and there is no indication online the 95-year-old actor was active on the social media platform in recent years. While no "client…

Did Canada plan to stop sending energy to the United States in February 2025 because of President Donald Trump's tariffs? No, that's not true: After a call between the two leaders on February 3, 2025, both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump said separately that tariffs were delayed for 30 days. As of this publication, Canada did not say…

Was the explosion near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia on January 31, 2025, not caused by an airplane crash but by a missile or comet? No, that's not true: The Federal Aviation Administration and multiple news outlets confirmed that the incident involved an aircraft. Global flight tracker Flight Radar 24 said the aircraft fell vertically at high speed. Other video angles…

American Airlines reported a Bombardier CRJ700 plane flying under their regional airline brand American Eagle was involved in an accident over the Potomac river while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. Accoring to the FAA the plane collided with an Army UH-60 helicopter with three crewmembers on board. The statement from American Airlines read: American Eagle…

Does a video clip posted on social media prove that an airline pilot made an in-flight announcement referring to the "Gulf of America"? No, that's not true: The video provides no proof that what appears to be an airplane cabin is in an aircraft flown by an airline, or that the voice heard belongs to the pilot. There is no…

Does a video show helicopters taking Mexican firefighters to help in Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts in January 2025, as a social media post implied? No, that's not true: Spokespeople for the Los Angeles Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection both denied that Mexico sent air resources to combat the wildfires there. Forestry & Fire…