An old video of an IAF fighter jet crash is being falsely circulated with the claim that the Pakistan Air Force shot down the jet.

In the light of the current war between India and Pakistan, neighboring country’s social media users have been found to propagate many videos and images showing the level of destruction done by the Pakistan military to India. 

Amid the ongoing tensions, a video showing an injured Indian pilot is going viral on social media. It is being shared with misleading captions to suggest that Pakistan shot down an Indian Air Force fighter jet during the current conflict.

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Fact Check- 

A Google Reverse Image Search on a keyframe led us to The Print’s website. The report carries a screengrab from the viral video in which the same pilot can be seen lying on the ground. According to the report on 7 March 2025, On March 7, 2025, a Jaguar fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in Haryana shortly after taking off from the Ambala Air Force Station during a routine training mission. The pilot experienced a technical malfunction mid-air but successfully guided the aircraft away from populated areas before safely ejecting. The jet ultimately crashed in a hilly, forested region in Panchkula district.

The same video can be seen on The Tribune’s official YouTube Channel, uploaded on 7 March 2025. According to the report, a Jaguar fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in a hilly forest area near Raipur Rani in Haryana’s Panchkula district. The crash happened during a routine training flight after the jet had a system malfunction. The pilot ensured the plane didn’t hit any residential region and then safely ejected. 

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. The video of an injured pilot of a fighter jet of the Indian Airforce is old. This crash took place in Haryana due to technical malfunction of the jet. The claim of the jet shot down by Pakistani’s during the current war is false.