A sequence of a computer-generated video from the video game Grand Theft Auto V is being shared on WhatsApp and social media with a false claim that it shows a Russian aircraft crash into a highway after an unsuccessful emergency landing at Moscow airport.
In the 1.46 minutes video, we can spot a plane with smoke coming out of its wings maneuver over the air and then crash land on a busy highway.
The video is being shared with the caption, "Few hours ago, Russian flight SU1492 crashed into a highway after an unsuccessful emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyet International Airport, destroying vehicles and killing 41 people."
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Viral on Facebook
The same video is being shared on Facebook with the false claim.
BOOM received the same viral video on our helpline number (7700906111) from several readers who asked about the authenticity of the footage.
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FACT-CHECK
On viewing the video we found that it was a computer-generated imagery (CGI). As it looked like a video game clip, we searched with the keywords like, "GTA 5, plane landing on highway", and found similar sequences from the game that matched the viral video.
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA5) is a action adventure video game that released in 2013. The game is played from either a third-person or first-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The story of the game is centered on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay.
We can see the same sequence being played in GTA 5, in these YouTube videos below. The bridge which can be seen in the viral video is in the City of Los Santos, commonly known as Los Santos, is a major city located in southern San Andreas in Grand Theft Auto V, which is based on Los Angeles, California.
We can see the same bridge in the below video
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In this video, we can see a plane on the road, as in the viral video
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In order to cross verify the footage, BOOM also crossed checked the viral sequence in the video with the GTA-5 game and we found that it is indeed from there.
Harsh Trivedi, Sr Healthcare Analyst and gaming enthusiast sent us a video of him playing GTA-5 and playing the same sequence as in the viral video. The aircraft seen in the viral; video is know as Titan in the game.
We can see the same plane, bridge and road in the video sent to us by Trivedi, which matches the sequence in the viral video where the plane lands on the highway. The sequence in the game involves a user taking over a plane and flying it.
Picture credit: Harsh Trivedi
On comparing shots from the game and the viral video, we can spot that both match.
BOOM also reached out to the video game company - Rockstar Games via email for a response, the article will be updated on receiving one.
Additionally, the viral video was also uploaded by a YouTube channel - MCG- Mobile Gaming Channel, with the caption stating it's for 'entertainment purpose', with users in the comments also pointing out it is from a video game.
The caption reads, "About two hours ago, Russian flight SU1492 crashed into a highway after an unsuccessful emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyet International Airport, destroying vehicles and killing 41 people. For entertainment Purpose"
False caption inspired by real incident
The 'flight SU 1492' mentioned in the viral caption is inspired by a real incident back in May 2019 in Russia when Aeroflot Flight 1492 which was a scheduled passenger flight from Moscow–Sheremetyevo to Murmansk, Russia made an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport.
On May 5, 2019, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft operating the flight was climbing out when it was struck by lightning and the aircraft suffered an electrical failure and returned to Sheremetyevo for an emergency landing. While landing it bounced on landing and touched down hard, causing the landing gear to collapse, fuel to spill out of the wings, and a fire to erupt which killed 41 of the 78 occupants.
Russian authorities had also released a video of the tragic Aeroflot Flight SU1492 crash-landing on May 5, 2019, showing the Superjet 100 aircraft landing in flames and the evacuation effort reported Aerotime on April 15, 2020.
The video was uploaded to YouTube by The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (IC) on April 15, 2020. The authorities stated that the investigation has been completed and that a criminal case is being filed against the captain of Aeroflot Flight SU1492. Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused the pilot Denis Evdokimov, of breaching the country's criminal code by violating traffic safety rules and of negligence during air transport operation, causing death and serious harm to human health.
In the video below of the incident, we can see that it does not match with the sequence in the viral video from GTA 5 game.
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(Additional reporting by Sujith A)
