Fact Check: Pakistan Air Force shoots down US F-35 fighter jet in New Mexico? No, here are the facts

Hyderabad: A sensational claim is circulating on social media, alleging that the Pakistan Air Force shot down a US Air Force F-35A stealth fighter jet in New Mexico using a Chinese-made JF-17 fighter.

An X user posted a video of a fiery crash scene with the caption, “#BreakingNews: #Pakistan Air Force has shot down a US Air Force’s F-35A stealth fighter with #Chinese JF-17 Ladaku Taiyara at Albuquerque International, New Mexico.” (Archive)

The video shows thick black smoke rising from a hillside with flames near the wreckage. Several emergency vehicles, including ambulances and police cars, are visible, along with civilian cars on a nearby road.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The video shows a F-35 fighter jet crash but which was caused as the result of an accident, not by any military action.

A reverse image search of the keyframes led us to an article by Business Insider, dated May 29, 2024. According to the report, a newly delivered F-35 fighter jet developed by Lockheed Martin crashed near Albuquerque shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was en route to Edwards Air Force Base in California when it went down.

The article contained a link to an X post by Clash Report, which shared the video stating that it shows ‘A F-35 fighter jet just crashed during takeoff at Albuquerque International, New Mexico.’

The pilot ejected from the jet and survived, though with serious injuries. The crash took place near Albuquerque International Sunport, but there is no evidence linking the incident to any Pakistani or Chinese military involvement.

We also found the video in a report by The Telegraph on YouTube, uploaded on May 29, 2024. It was titled ‘F-35 fighter jet crashes into New Mexico hillside.’ The video’s description stated, “An F-35 military fighter jet has crashed into a hillside in New Mexico. The fighter jet went down near International Sunport in Albuquerque while travelling to an Air Force base in California.

The pilot, the only person on board, survived the crash but was seriously injured, according to officials.

US manufacturer Lockheed Martin identified the downed plane as an F-35 that had left Fort Worth, Texas, earlier on Tuesday and was headed to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for Lockheed told The Associated Press that the fighter jet crashed after the pilot stopped to refuel at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.”

The visuals in the viral video—smoke, hillside terrain, and emergency vehicles—match perfectly with both the Business Insider report and The Telegraph’s video, confirming it was an accident, not a military encounter.

The viral claim that the Pakistan Air Force shot down a US F-35 fighter jet in New Mexico is misleading. The video and incident in question relate to an accidental crash of a US jet during a test flight. There is no connection to any military engagement or action by Pakistan or China.