After Iran claimed in April 2026 that it had shot down US military aircraft during a rescue operation, an image circulated online allegedly showing a US helicopter downed in Iranian territory.
However, an investigation by AFP revealed that the photograph predates the operation and actually depicts a US Army Black Hawk after an emergency landing in Honduras in 2025.
A Thai-language post on Facebook dated April 4, 2026, claimed, “A report says that a Black Hawk helicopter, which was conducting a search-and-rescue mission for the pilots of an American aircraft shot down by Iran, was also shot down.”
It added, “If this situation continues, the US Air Force will be left with no aircraft or helicopters at all.”
The post included an image showing a helicopter on the ground in a wooded area with firefighters inspecting the wreckage.
Similar claims circulated on Facebook, accompanied by posts in Hindi and Chinese.
The misinformation emerged following Iran’s April 3 announcement that it had downed a US warplane sent to rescue the crew of a fighter jet that had crashed in the country’s southwest.
US officials later confirmed that an F-15 fighter jet had been shot down and described a large-scale operation to recover its crew.
AFP reported that US forces conducted a complex rescue involving special operations troops and air support, while Iran claimed the mission had been “foiled” and asserted that multiple US aircraft were destroyed.
US military chief General Dan Caine stated on April 6 that two crew members of the downed aircraft had been recovered and were “back in friendly territory” after a 50-hour high-risk operation. He added that one helicopter involved in the rescue was hit, but the crew sustained only minor injuries and “are going to be fine.”
A reverse image search by AFP traced the circulating photograph to March 5, 2025, when it was published by the Aviation Safety Network.
The image shows a US Army Black Hawk that made an emergency landing near Soto Cano Air Base, with all personnel onboard suffering only minor injuries.
Additional footage from multiple angles confirmed the same aircraft, showing it on the ground with captions stating that the UH-60 Black Hawk, carrying five personnel, had safely made an emergency landing near Soto Cano Air Base. The Honduran Fire Department also posted a video on its official Facebook page the same day, showing the helicopter on the ground.
AFP has previously debunked other false narratives stemming from the Middle East conflict, highlighting the ongoing spread of misinformation in social media regarding military operations.
