CLAIM
Viral video of Indian fighter jet crashing during landing
RATING JUSTIFICATION
The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.
To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted reverse image and keyword searches to corroborate the claim.
Several users, the majority of whom appear to be pro-military accounts based on their past posts, have been sharing a video on social media platforms X and Facebook since September 15, 2026, allegedly showing an Indian fighter jet crashing during landing due to pilot error. However, the video shows gameplay footage from a military simulation game.
How it started
On Sept 15, an account on X shared a video claiming to show a MiG-29 fighter jet crash-landing on a runway with the following caption: “A MiG-29 slams onto the runway in a dramatic landing incident. Thankfully, the aircraft’s condition and crew status remain the key details to watch.”
The post received 497,300 views.
On Sept 17, another account on X, which appears to be a pro-military account based on previous posts, shared the same video with the following caption: “Breaking news: An IAF MiG-29 fighter jet crashed during landing due to pilot error. No casualties reported. IAF is keeping it quiet as fighter jets keep getting lost at a high rate. IAF is getting failure every time.”
The post gained 1.3 million views.
Another pro-military account also shared the same video on the same date with the same caption.
The video gained 40,000 views.
The video was subsequently shared on Facebook, and X by other accounts, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the Indian military.
A keyword search was conducted to determine whether any credible Indian or international media outlets had reported or published the viral visuals in connection with an Indian fighter jet crash. However, the search did not yield any results
A reverse image search conducted to trace the origin of the viral footage led to a YouTube video from a videogaming account uploaded on July 13, 2026.
The description of the YouTube video stated that the footage was gameplay recorded from War Thunder, a military combat game featuring air, land, and naval vehicles from different eras.
It further clarified that the content was created for entertainment purposes and depicted aircraft movements, flybys, tactical positioning and action sequences without any real-world context.
A keyword search for War Thunder gameplay videos on YouTube yielded several similar videos, as can be seen here and here.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE
The claim that a viral video shows an Indian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashing during landing due to pilot error is false.
The video is not from a real incident; it shows gameplay footage from a military combat simulation game.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
Jul 13, 2026, YouTube video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/dVu0eMztePo?si=vIh5RHvdR0-3y02g
Oct 22, 2023, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yWbZOE2H0E&t=556s
Dec 11, 2022, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zy9hLU3zyE&t=296s