Hours after the Jeju Air plane crash landed and burst into flames, killing 179 people on board in South Korea's worst plane crash on earth, a photo of the plane's burning fuselage was shared in social media posts that falsely claimed to show the wreckage. . The photo actually shows the remains of a Japan Airlines plane that burst into flames after crashing into a coast guard aircraft in January 2024.
The picture was shared Facebook on December 30, 2024, titled “Tragic Plane Crash in South Korea”.
“More than 100 lives lost after Jeju Air plane crash lands at Muan International Airport. Thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families,” the caption continued.
The photo, which shows the burnt-out hull of a passenger jet on the side of a runway, was shared a day after the fatal Jeju air crash (archive link).
Jeju Air Flight 2216 from Thailand crashed while trying to make an emergency belly landing, smashing into a wall and bursting into flames. All but two of the 181 passengers and crew on board were killed.
South Korea has ordered “comprehensive study” of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the nation's carriers (archive link).
US air safety officials and workers from the manned aircraft maker joined investigators investigating the worst air crash on South Korean soil, which officials initially blamed on a bird accident.
A screenshot of the fake Facebook post, captured on January 1, 2025
The same photo was shared with other captions elsewhere on Facebook here, here and herewith commenters on the posts apparently believing it showed the wreckage of the Jeju Air crash.
“So sad. What a tragedy,” wrote one user.
Another said: “It's a terrible accident. “
The picture, however, is not connected to the accident.
Japan plane crash
A background image search on Google turned up the same image used in a file article titled “How Japan Airlines crew brought 367 passengers to safety from burning plane”, published by global news agency Reuters on January 4, 2024archive link).
The photo caption reads: “Aerial view shows a burning Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3 2024, in this photo taken by Kyodo. credit Kyodo / via REUTERS.”
Five of the six crew on the smaller Coast Guard plane died in the incident but all 379 people on the Japan Airlines flight were evacuated before it burst into flames (archive link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image used in the fake post (left) and the Reuters article (right):
A screenshot comparison of the image used in the fake post (left) and in the Reuters article (right)
The photo was also used in similar reports by the South China Morning Post and the Guard newspapers (archive here and here).
Closer analysis of the photo shows the registration “JA13XJ” on its right wing, which tracks sites Flightradar24 and Plane spotters point out that the plane involved in the accident at Haneda Airport belonged to the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 (archive here and here).
AFP has spread false information about plane crashes here and here.
