Is there an "epidemic of plane crashes linked to [the] COVID-19 jab"? No, that's not true: There's no documentation to back up the statement that there is an "epidemic" of crashes, much less one crash caused by COVID-19 vaccines. A video making the claim relies on a recent California crash, the cause of which has not yet been determined. A spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Lead Stories that the agency has seen no evidence to support the video's allegations.
The video (archived here) was published on BitChute on October 14, 2021. Titled "EPIDEMIC OF PLANE CRASHES LINKED TO COVID-19 JAB," the video opens with clips from that recent crash. At 1:29, a voice claims:
There's a silent epidemic of plane crashes happening around the country and nobody's connecting the dots.
Users on social media saw this title, description and thumbnail:
EPIDEMIC OF PLANE CRASHES LINKED TO COVID-19 JAB
As more pilots get the covid jab you will start to see more strokes, clots and seizures during flights. Your playing Russian roulette if you take a flight.
As alleged support for its claim, the video cites the crash of a small plane in a San Diego suburb on October 11, 2021. The plane struck a UPS truck, killing both the truck driver and the pilot, identified as a doctor at the Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma, Arizona. The video tries to pin the cause of the crash on the fact that the pilot was a doctor, someone who was "required to get the vaccine," according to the voiceover in the video.
There's no evidence to support the implication that the vaccine caused the crash. The cause of the crash is not yet known. Local media published air traffic control audio from shortly before the accident. A voice can be heard telling the pilot that his plane is too low and that he needs to "climb immediately." It's not clear why he didn't. Any number of reasons are possible but purely speculative at this point: mechanical failure, a medical emergency, pilot disorientation.
Lead Stories reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the crash, to ask about the video's claims. In an email dated October 15, 2021, a spokeswoman wrote:
At this early stage of an investigation, NTSB does not state a cause but will provide factual information when available. The preliminary report, which includes all the factual information learned to date, is expected to publish 15 days after the accident. Investigations involving fatalities, and other major investigations currently take between 12 and 24 months to complete.
She added, anecdotally, that the agency has seen no evidence of a major uptick in general aviation plane crashes in 2021, although its annual aviation statistics are not yet available. Maria Njoku, a spokeswoman with the FAA, similarly told Lead Stories that the FAA has seen no evidence to support any of the video's claims.
Lead Stories has written about allegations related to airplanes and the COVID-19 vaccines before. See here, here and here for those stories in which we found that a Delta pilot, who had recently received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, did not die suddenly during a flight; that thousands of flights are not being canceled as vaccinated pilots fall ill or die; and that "leaked" airline documents do not reveal horrific details about vaccinated pilots.
