Fact Check: NAF F-7NI jet accident passed off as IAF MI-171 chopper crash

An image of a crashed fighter jet is doing the rounds on social media. Users claimed it shows an Indian Air Force MI-171 helicopter, which crashed in Nigeria killing 26 soldiers and injuring eight others.

A Facebook user shared the image with the caption, “The MI-171 helicopter of Indian Air Force crashed in Nigeria leading to the death of 26 soldiers and leaving eight injured.” (Translated from Hindi)

Multiple X and Facebook users made the same claim. (Click here, here and here to see the posts)

Hindi Daily, Dainik Bhaskar, also posted the image on X claiming it shows an Indian Air Force Helicopter crashed in Nigeria. However, the newspaper deleted the post after being called out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the image shows the crash of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) F-7NI.

On performing a reverse image search, we found it featured in a report by The Guardian — a Nigeria-based newspaper. The report is titled “FCTA gives scholarship to Air Force crash injured girl.”

It said that the image shows the wreckage of one of the two Nigeria Air Force (NAF) F-7NI jets that crashed after a mid-air collision in Katampe Hills in Abuja.

The image was carried by several reports with the same details. (Click here, here and here to read the reports.)

The official fact-check Facebook page of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) also debunked the false claim. The caption reads, “A post by @DainikBhaskar claims that an Indian Air Force MI-171 helicopter crashed in Nigeria, killing 26 soldiers and injuring 8 soldiers. #PIBFactCheck This claim is false. The helicopter that crashed did not belong to @IAF_MCC .”

In another post on X, Dainik Bhaskar regretted the error. It said no helicopter of the Indian Air Force had crashed in Nigeria.

Hence, we conclude that the viral image shows crashed Nigeria Air Force (NAF) F-7NI jet, not the Indian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter crash. The claim is false.