FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show Iranian President’s Helicopter Crash
An image shared on X claims to show the Iranian president’s helicopter crash.
The wreckage of Iranian President Raisi’s helicopter has been found.#Iran #Reuters #HelicopterCrash #IranianPresident#Raisi#Iran #Iranian #Iran #إيران#الرئيس_الإيراني #Raisi pic.twitter.com/kc82BRgfbE
— احمد صلاح (@mdl959809929722) May 19, 2024
Verdict: False
The image is from January and was taken in Texas, not Iran.
Fact Check:
The Iranian president and foreign minister died in a helicopter crash, according to The Associated Press. Elections for his replacement are due to take place next month, the outlet reported.
Social media users are sharing an image of a crashed helicopter, claiming it shows the Iranian crash. One user wrote, “The wreckage of Iranian President Raisi’s helicopter has been found.” (RELATED: No, Vladimir Putin Did Not Say That Russia Will Support Iran If The U.S. Attacks It)
This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the image was taken in Texas, not Iran and took place in January, not May. The image was published by outlets such as the NBC 5 Dallas-Forth Worth and the Dallas Express.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety posted a statement about the crash on X.
OFFICIAL DPS STATEMENT:
On Jan 11, 2024, at approximately 7:20 p.m., a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) single-engine police helicopter was conducting a border interdiction patrol flight in support of Operation Lone Star. This flight was conducted at night, under Visual…
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) January 12, 2024
“During the flight, the crew experienced a total loss of power, entered into an auto-rotative descent and made contact with the ground. The co-pilot sustained a minor hand injury, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage,” the statement partially reads.
The helicopter is also a Eurocopter AS350 B2, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. The crashed Iranian helicopter was Bell 212, according to Reuters.
Screenshot/FAA
Reuters also debunked this claim.
