Video game clip incorrectly shared as ‘Qantas plane crash’

A simulated clip of a plane crash has been viewed tens of thousands of times in posts falsely claiming it shows a real plane from Australian airline Qantas. The footage was originally posted by a social media user who wrote that it was from the video game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V).

“Qantas 747 plane crash,” read the English-language caption of a Facebook Reel shared on July 15, 2024.

The video, which has been viewed more than 32,000 times, appears to show a passenger plane crashing into a residential area.

It was also shared along with a similar false claim on Facebook here, here and here.

Comments on the video suggested that some users believed it actually showed a plane crash.

“Oh no, we really don’t know what’s going to happen so just keep praying,” one user said.

“This is so scary I don’t want to fly anymore,” commented another.

But the video does not show a real accident.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is responsible for investigating all incidents involving Australian-registered civilian aircraft, had not reported a recent crash involving a Qantas aircraft as of October 16 (archived link).

Simulated footage

The video shows signs of being simulated; Especially when the plane crashes to the ground, it has little impact on the surrounding area.

A reverse image search found that it was first posted by TikTok user Gabru Gamer, who posted clips of simulated plane crashes from the GTA V game (archived links here and here).

“Qantas 747 Airplane Crash into Home #qantas #crashlanding #foryou #airport #gta6 #gta5clips,” the original clip’s caption read, suggesting it was from the game.

The user’s TikTok page also included a link to his YouTube profile, where he said that he “loves gaming and makes videos for my fans so they can enjoy the game too.”

GTA V players frequently modify the game to add new vehicles and features (archived link).

Keyword searches on Google revealed that the aircraft shown in the false post matches a Qantas Boeing 747 model, which can be downloaded from a website that provides modifications for the game (archived link).

Below is a comparison of the video seen in the fake post (left) and on TikTok (right):

Boeing 747s are equipped with four engines, but the plane in the fake video only has two, as highlighted in the screenshot comparison below:

Qantas also removed the airliner model from passenger service in July 2020 (archived links here and here).

AFP has previously debunked posts circulating computer-generated clips of plane crashes. Here are some tips on how to spot them.