These images don’t show recent B-52 bomber crash - PolitiFact

Following a fatal June 15, 2026, B-52 bomber crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California, social media users spread misinformation by sharing AI-generated images and unrelated historical footage. While military officials confirmed the crash was an unsurvivable event that left the aircraft virtually destroyed, no official images of the wreckage had been released as of June 16.

What happened

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, which killed all eight crew members, various social media platforms were flooded with fabricated content. Users on Facebook and Instagram posted collages of burning planes, mid-air explosions, and ground wreckage. Analysis using AI-detection tools, including Hive Moderation and OpenAI’s own verification system, indicated that many of these images were generated using OpenAI’s ChatGPT Images 2.0. One specific image of a fire truck featured a gibberish name, distinguishing it from a real 2016 photo of a B-52 crash in Guam that it was designed to mimic.

Beyond AI-generated imagery, misinformation also spread via recycled video footage. An X post claimed to show the recent Edwards Air Force Base incident, but the video actually depicted a 1994 B-52 crash at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington. Despite some users correcting the record, the false footage continued to circulate across the platform. These efforts to misrepresent the tragedy occurred while the U.S. Air Force was beginning an investigation, a process expected to take up to six months. Authorities and media outlets emphasized that legitimate aerial footage showed almost nothing left of the aircraft except ash, which did not match the manipulated pictures or the historical video being shared by users online.