The recent plane crashes in Japan and Azerbaijan made 2024 the deadliest year in aviation since 2018. In the wake of these tragedies, misleading videos falsely claiming to show additional plane crashes flooded social media, sparking widespread confusion and panic among users.
2024 Is the Deadliest Year for Commercial Aviation Since 2018
Aviation accidents in 2024 claimed the highest number of lives since 2018, following a devastating crash in South Korea.
On December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 collided with a concrete wall at Muan International Airport, killing 179 out of 181 people on board. The plane, which departed Bangkok, Thailand, around 2 a.m., erupted into flames after the collision.
Only two crew members survived the disaster. Investigators from multiple countries are now working to uncover the cause of the tragic incident.
The Jeju Air crash significantly increased passenger plane fatalities this year, compounded by another deadly incident on Christmas Day.
On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed in Kazakhstan after entering Russian airspace, killing 38 out of 67 passengers. According to Reuters, citing Azerbaijani sources, Russian air defenses downed the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that entered Russian airspace over Grozny, Chechnya.
Earlier in August, a regional commercial aircraft crash in Brazil resulted in the deaths of all 62 people on board.
The Aviation Safety Network reports that 318 lives have been lost in aviation accidents in 2024, making it the deadliest year for commercial aviation since 2018, when 557 fatalities were recorded.
Misleading Videos Show Recent Plane Crashes
On December 23, a private plane crashed in Gramado, southern Brazil, killing 10 members of a prominent business family. Against the backdrop of the incident, social media users circulated a video claiming to show the moment of the Brazil plane crash.
An Instagram user shared the video with the caption, “A small plane crashes after pilot and passenger eject. 10 people killed, 15 injured in Brazil plane crash.”
Misbar’s team investigated the footage and found it to be older than claimed. The video dates back to August 14, 2023, showing a MiG-UB23 fighter jet crashing during an airshow in Michigan.
Reports confirmed no fatalities, as both pilots ejected safely before the crash.
Following the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan on December 25, social media users shared another video claiming to show the aircraft’s interior during turbulence.
In the video, passengers were chanting “Allah Akbar” before the Azerbaijan Airlines plane went down.
Misbar's team found that the circulating video is outdated.
It shows an Air Algérie passenger plane making an emergency landing on September 23, 2024, at Houari Boumediene Airport.
According to reports, the plane returned approximately an hour after takeoff due to a technical failure.
Moreover, amid recent reports about the Jeju Air flight that crashed at a South Korean airport on December 29, killing dozens of passengers, social media users circulated a video claiming to show the final moments inside the plane before the crash.
Misbar’s team found the video to be old. The footage dates back to January 2, 2024, and shows a scene from inside a passenger plane that collided with a Coast Guard aircraft in Japan.
NBC uploaded the video to YouTube and reported that officials confirmed the deaths of five people aboard the Coast Guard plane.
In addition, social media users spread a video purporting to feature an Emirates plane crash in an urban area in Abu Dhabi.
An X user shared the footage and alleged, “Planes falling out of the sky now and the media refuses to even talk about it.”
Misbar’s team investigated the video and discovered it to be AI-generated. A reverse image search traced the original publisher to a TikTok account, which regularly shares AI-created plane crash videos.
The creator's bio explicitly states, “UPLOADING GTA 5 GAME VIDEOS DAILY FOR INFO!” confirming that the scenes originate from a game.
Furthermore, Emirates Airlines refuted the claim of an Airbus A380 crash, calling the content fabricated and false.
“We are in contact with the various social media platforms to remove the video or make clear that it is digitally created footage to avoid false and alarming information from circulating,” the airline said.
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