Fact Check: Old Crash Image Falsely Shared as Indian Female Pilot Captured in Pakistan
The image in question dates back to June 2023 and depicts the aftermath of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Kiran Jet Trainer crash, unrelated to the current India-Pakistan tensions.
Claim :
A female officer lying on the ground, falsely claimed to be the first visual of an Indian female pilot captured in Pakistan.Fact :
The image actually dates back to June 2023 and shows the aftermath of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Kiran Jet Trainer crash.
Multiple explosions were heard in the Jammu and Kashmir regions of Srinagar and Udhampur late on the night of May 10, just hours after an understanding was reached between India and Pakistan during a direct call between their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) to cease all firing.
According to published reports, a complete blackout is being observed in Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, and Jaisalmer, as drones have been spotted in these sectors. The explosions have prompted heightened alert across both civilian and military establishments, even as the ceasefire officially took effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time on May 10th, 2025.
Operation Sindoor reportedly targeted nine terrorist camps using precision airstrikes and coordinated ground operations, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Meanwhile, an image is going viral on social media, claiming that an Indian Rafale female pilot has been shot down and captured by Pakistan.
A screenshot of the claim is provided below.
Fact Check:
The claim is false. The image actually dates back to June 2023 and depicts the aftermath of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Kiran Jet Trainer crash.
We investigated the claim that a female officer lying on the ground is an Indian female pilot captured in Pakistan but found no evidence to support it. If such an incident had occurred, it would have been reported by mainstream media.
When we took the key frame from the viral video using reverse image search, we found a video uploaded on YouTube.
On June 1, 2023, The News Minute uploaded a video with the title, IAF's Trainer Aircraft Crashes in Chamrajnagar.
Part of the video looks similar to the viral video. We compared both the images.
We found both images to be similar.
This proves that the viral image is from 2023 and has no connection to the ongoing India-Pakistan situation.
As mentioned in the description, The News Minute stated, 'The Indian Air Force (IAF) Kiran trainer aircraft crashed in Bhogpur village in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district on June 1. Both the flight instructor and trainee pilot safely ejected before the crash'.
We searched using relevant keywords and found that The Indian Express had published a brief article on it. As per the article published, IAF’s Kiran trainer aircraft crashes in Karnataka, pilots eject safely. The pilots were on a routine training sortie when the aircraft crashed in Bhogapura village. The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident. A Kiran trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in an open field in a village in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, while on a routine training sortie. Both pilots managed to eject before the crash and escaped without serious injuries, the IAF said. The training aircraft, which had taken off from the air force station in Bengaluru, crashed in Bhogapura village, landing in an uninhabited area. District officials confirmed that the pilots, identified as Tejpal and Bhumika, suffered minor injuries. The pilots were later airlifted to Bengaluru for medical treatment.
IAF trainer aircraft crashes near Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, published by The Hindu.
The News Minutes published, IAF training aircraft crashes in Chamarajanagar, pilots eject safely
Hence we found the claim is false. The image in question dates back to June 2023 and depicts the aftermath of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Kiran Jet Trainer crash, unrelated to the current India-Pakistan tensions.
