FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show a Passenger On-Board Air India Flight 171 Live Streaming Final Moments Before Crash?

International Business Times

a day ago

A video has gone viral that claims to show passengers on board an Air India flight while one passenger livestreams the final moments on Facebook Live. The video claims to show the inside of Air India Flight i71 moments before the accident, as the plane crashed minutes after taking off from India's Ahmedabad airport.
However, the video is fake and not of the aircraft that crashed on Thursday. The video clip is in fact recorded on board a small aircraft that crashed in Nepal after leaving its capital Kathmandu in January 2023. The Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad was going to London and had 242 passengers and crew.
Different Video of Plane Crash
The viral claim appeared in a post on X and since then many have been left confused. However, the video was originally shot from the passenger's phone which crashed in Nepal.
The video shows a Yeti Airlines flight descending toward the Pokhara airport when it suddenly goes down and bursts into flames. The video also appears to capture the cries of the distraught passengers before the plane catches fire, killing them.
The video, which was allegedly captured by an Indian man by the name of Sonu Jaiswal, appears to show passengers grinning as the jet passes over buildings. The Yeti Airlines logo can be seen over Jaiswal's shoulder, and there is also an advertisement for Nepalese insurance on the tray of the aircraft.
Suddenly there is an explosion, and the screen goes topsy-turvy. The final few seconds show a horrifying fire outside the window, and cries of distraught passengers can be heard. The phone kept on recording even as the plane was engulfed in flames.
Air India Aircraft Was a Dreamliner
The plane that crashed in Nepal was a small aircraft, while the Air India jet was a 787 Boeing Dreamliner. The plane was carrying 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, and one Canadian passenger.
However, the extent of destruction visible in early photos suggests that there are likely to be heavy casualties.
Indian government confirmed that 133 people have so far been killed. However, it is feared that all 242 including the crew members died in the crash.
In a short statement posted on X, Air India said: "Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025.
"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest."
Flight tracking platform FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft's transponder signal dropped just moments after takeoff. "We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take off," it said.