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Fact Check
Viral social media posts claim that photos circulating online show the wreckage of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar aircraft that crashed in Churu, Rajasthan, on July 9, 2025.
The images being shared as evidence of the Churu crash are actually from unrelated incidents involving IAF jets in Odisha (2015) and Gujarat (2025).
On July 9, 2025, a Jaguar trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed during a routine training mission in Churu district, Rajasthan. Both pilots lost their lives in the accident. The IAF confirmed that no civil property was damaged and a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the crash.
Shortly after the crash, several social media users began sharing images, purportedly showing the wreckage from the Churu incident to offer tributes to the deceased and express condolences. These included:
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Also Read: Old Video of Pappu Yadav Crying Shared With False Claim About Bihar Bandh Protest
Newschecker investigated the viral visuals one-by-one.
A Google Lens search on the viral image led us to a report by The Hindu, dated June 3, 2015, titled “IAF fighter trainer aircraft crashes in Odisha.”
The report, featuring a photo of the same aircraft, noted that an Indian Air Force fighter trainer jet crashed in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, about 350 km from Bhubaneswar, on a Wednesday. Both pilots managed to eject safely from the aircraft.
The report further stated that the incident occurred in Kudarsahi village, within the Bisoi police station limits of Mayurbhanj district, and that the aircraft was completely destroyed by fire.
The same photograph appeared on the stock image website Getty Images, accompanied by a caption describing onlookers gathered around an Indian Air Force advanced jet trainer aircraft (A 3492) that had crashed in a paddy field at Kudurasahi in Mayurbhanj district, approximately 365 kilometers north of Bhubaneswar, on June 3, 2015. The caption noted that the aircraft went down about 35 minutes after departing from the Kaleikunda air base in West Bengal, but both pilots ejected safely just before the crash.
A Google Lens search of the viral collage led to a report by The Telegraph, dated April 3, 2025, which included both images from the collage. The post reported that the Indian Air Force had initiated an inquiry into a Jaguar fighter jet crash near the Jamnagar IAF station in Gujarat, where one pilot was killed and another injured. According to the IAF’s statement, the pilots were on a night mission and encountered a “technical malfunction” before the crash.
The second image used in the collage is also from the same incident in Jamnagar in April 2025. A Times Of India report from April 3, 2025, confirmed that the image showed the wreckage of a Jaguar fighter jet that crashed during a training mission near Jamnagar Air Force Station on April 2.
An India Today report on the IAF crash in Jamnagar in April 2025 also featured the now-viral collage.
Our findings confirm that the images being circulated are old and unrelated to the recent IAF jet crash in Rajasthan. The claims linking these photos to the Rajasthan incident are false.
Sources
Report by The Hindu, Dated June 3, 2015
Getty Images Website
Report By The Telegraph, Dated April 3, 2025
Report By Times Of India, Dated April 3, 2025
False
Kushel Madhusoodan
September 24, 2025
Ishwarachandra B G
September 23, 2025
Vasudha Beri
September 23, 2025
