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| - False: This video shows GTA 5 gameplay, not a Brazilian plane crash
In recent months a video showing an airliner with its engines on fire flying over a metropolitan city has gone viral across the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin. Most uploaders of the clip claimed it was shot in Brazil.
One user gave a title in Chinese that read, “Moments before Brazilian plane crashed”. Another said, “Captain fought hard to keep the plane away from the residential area before moments of its crash.” Some other users said the footage shows an actual plane crash on Aug. 9, 2024, that killed all 62 people on board.
The earliest version of this video Annie Lab found on Douyin was posted on Oct. 16, 2024. Since then, at least 13 more have been uploaded to the platform. They accumulated about 20,000 likes, 2,300 comments, and 5,600 reposts, although some were later deleted (you can find the archived posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
In the comment section, some viewers praised the pilot for veering the plane away from the crowded area. However, upon investigation, Annie Lab can confirm that this viral video is an in-game footage captured with the built-in cinematic tools offered in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. It has nothing to do with the August 2024 crash in Brazil.
Origin of the video
Our reverse image search led to one TikTok video uploaded on Aug. 14, 2024, by the user “fly_zone77.” The post said “Moments Before Brazil plane crash in GTA 5” followed by such hashtags as #atr72, #PLANECRASH, #crashlanding, and #brazilplanecrash.
Before the account got deleted, this video creator uploaded many other clips featuring similar plane crashes and landing in GTA 5, an open-world game that allows players to explore the world using various vehicles, such as cars, boats, and aircraft.
We looked into the fictional world of GTA 5 and identified two locations in a city called Los Santos. At 0:35 of the TikTok video, a plane flew by two iconic buildings adjacent to each other in this virtual city, called the Maze Bank Tower and the Mile High Club.
In another scene of the video (at 1:02) when the plane is approaching the runway, we noticed two cone-shaped objects and a pile of rocks on the beach next to the runway.
In the game, they mark the starting point of a triathlon mini-game located at “Vespucci Beach” near the “Los Santos International Airport.”
As can be seen in the gaming videos (here and here) found online, this location is where the TikTok video shows.
We learned that in this game, players can use the tool GTA V mods to modify airplanes’ appearances.
The paint on the plane in the video resembles an actual design of Azul Brazilian Airlines seen in the real photos of the same model taken by an aviation enthusiast.
How to identify edited gameplay videos
On the internet, game videos and simulator footage are often shared misleadingly.
It is easy to create authentic-looking footage from video games, thanks to the built-in recorders and editors many games offer. These tools enable players to share their gaming experience online.
For example, GTA 5 features a “Rockstar Editor” that allows users to record gameplay using special camera modes, filters, depth of field and audio customization options.
Numerous online tutorials guide users in creating gameplay videos with Rockstar Editor. One such tutorial demonstrates the process of filming footage from the wing of a plane.
To determine whether a video was captured from a console game, viewers can look for several indicators:
1. Graphic glitches: Rendering graphics in a video game or simulator can be resource-intensive, often leading to glitches. For example, in a popular GTA 5 video, viewers might notice:
- Image quality of a billboard improves suddenly (this happens when rendering is done)
- Flickering on the front of a building
- A building that turns dark without its original texture
- Objects in water disappearing while nearby object on sand change shape
2. Unnatural elements: Signs of computer-generated imagery include overly smooth surfaces and inconsistent lighting and shadows that defy the laws of physics.
3. Audio inconsistency: The audio in these videos can be digitally added after filming. In one instance from GTA 5 footage, the scream remains consistent despite multiple changes in camera angles, abruptly ending at 01:04. Additionally, Annie Lab identified a distinct scream (0:00-0:03) as a royalty-free sound effect sourced online.
Other common audio issues include out-of-sync sounds, inconsistent volume levels, or dialogue in a language that does not match the visuals. These discrepancies can serve as valuable clues in identifying edited audio.
HKBU Fact Check also debunked the same claim.
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