Air India Staff Video Hijacked by Fake Crash Claims on Social Media, Sparks Concern
- A viral video showing Air India crew members walking along a jet bridge has been falsely linked to the crew of flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad
- The footage was originally posted three days before the tragedy and does not depict the ill-fated flight’s personnel
- Social media posts miscaptioned the video, prompting a woman featured in the clip to refute the claims
A video circulating on social media has been falsely attributed to the crew of Air India flight AI171, which tragically crashed on 12 June shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat.
The London-bound aircraft collided with a college hostel, killing 241 passengers and at least 30 people on the ground. Only one passenger, Viswashkumar Ramesh, survived the disaster.
Source: Getty Images
Viral Jet bridge video misrepresents Air India crew
The misleading footage shows a woman in an Air India uniform filming herself in selfie mode while other crew members walk past her on a jet bridge.
The video has been widely shared with captions such as “Rest in peace” and “All crew passed away in ahmedabad Gujarat plane crash,” suggesting it depicts the final moments before the doomed flight.
Another version of the post claimed:
“The 12 crew members of Air India boarding the flight before the tragedy struck... all gone.”
However, the video was originally posted online on 9 June—three days before the crash. It appeared on an Instagram account under the name Yashasvi Sharma, whose earlier photos match the woman in the video.
Sharma captioned the post stating it was filmed prior to an ultra-long-haul (ULH) flight, which typically lasts over 14 hours. In contrast, the Ahmedabad-to-London route spans approximately nine hours and 40 minutes.
Air India crew member responds to false claims
Following the crash, Sharma addressed the misinformation in a comment on her Instagram post dated 13 June.
She wrote:
“Hi everyone, Thank you so much for reaching out - I'm safe and currently in Mumbai. I'm deeply shaken and heartbroken by what's happened. It's a very difficult time for us.”
In a subsequent post, Sharma urged her followers to report the accounts spreading the false narrative.
“How will our families feel if they see that we are not alive,” she said. “How can someone do this without information.”
Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson confirmed in a video message that 12 crew members were aboard flight AI171. Neither Sharma nor the airline responded immediately to requests for comment.
Verdict: Video of Air India crew miscaptioned
The viral video does not depict the crew of the ill-fated flight AI171. It was filmed and shared days before the crash and has been miscaptioned in social media posts. The claims linking the footage to the tragedy have been debunked.
Source: Getty Images
5 major developments since tragic accident
Legit.ng earlier reported that on Thursday, June 12, Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Legit.ng had reported that the tragic incident claimed the lives of 241 people, with one survivor, Viswash Kumar Ramesh.
The crash has sparked an ongoing investigation and widespread mourning across India. However, since the tragic crash, a series of events have unfolded.
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Source: Legit.ng
