Visual effects video does not show 'Malaysian airplane that crashed in August 2023'
- Published on August 25, 2023 at 08:53
- 4 min read
- By Syafique SHUIB, AFP Malaysia
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A clip -- which appears to show a plane on fire, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake as it flies low over some houses -- has been viewed 24,000 times after it was shared on TikTok on August 18, 2023.
"God Is Great Moments before the plane crashed," reads the Malay-language caption.
Meanwhile, English-language sticker text on the nine-second video reads: "Aircraft N28JV From Langkawi to Subang Crashed at Elmina Area / Operator Jet Valet Sdn Bhd".
The clip circulated one day after a small plane crashed into a four-lane road in Elmina -- a town in Selangor state, about 36 kilometres (22 miles) from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur -- killing eight people on board and two motorists on the ground (archived link).
Operated by Jet Valet Sdn Bhd, the aircraft with registration number N28JV departed from the northern resort island of Langkawi and headed to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor.
The video has been viewed more than 10,000 times after it was shared with a similar false claim on TikTok here, here, here, here and here.
User comments indicate some believed the clip shows moments before the plane crash.
"Engine caught fire," wrote one, while another expressed condolences.
However, the claim is false.
Visual effects video
A combination of reverse image and keyword searches on Google found the video was shared on Instagram here on May 29, 2023 (archived link).
The post's Indonesian-language caption translates as: "Using aircraft filter / Software Composite : After Effects / 3D Software: After Effects."
View this post on Instagram
The Instagram user's bio states the account belongs to Akbar Siregar, who says he is a "visual effects artist" (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the video uploaded by Akbar (right):
When contacted by AFP on August 21, 2023, Akbar confirmed that he made the video.
"The content that I made is visual effects," Akbar told AFP.
He explained that he shot the video in front of his house at South Tangerang, a city near Jakarta, and that he used Adobe After Effects to create the visual effects (archived link).
He also said that the flag that can be seen on the plane's tail is the United States flag, not the Malaysian flag (archived links here and here).
Different aircraft model
The plane that crashed in Elmina was the Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) aircraft, seen here on the Jet Valet website (archived link).
The model has engines at the back near the tail, while the aircraft in the visual effects video has engines mounted under its wings.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the aircraft in the visual effects video (left) and a photo of the plane on the Jet Valet website (right):
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