FACT CHECK: Viral X Post Falsely Claims Explosion In Philadelphia Was Caused By Missile

A viral video shared on X claims a recent explosion in Philadelphia was the result of a missile.

This does not look like a plane coming down.

This looks like a missle or comet, something launched directly down.

THIS IS NOT A PLANE. LOOK AT THIS. JUST HAPPENED.#PhiladelphiaCrash#planecrash#Philadelphia#FireAid pic.twitter.com/dDVktU4lk5

— UNITY FRONTLINE (@UnityFrontLine) February 1, 2025

Verdict: False

A medical transport jet crashed, and a large fire followed, according to 6ABC. There is no evidence to suggest a missile caused the incident.

Fact Check:

The Philadelphia medical transport jet that recently crashed was carrying a child who had received care at Shriners Hospital, according to ABC News. The jet, en route to Missouri, was set to take the child back to her home country of Mexico when the crash happened, the outlet reported.

The X video, which has amassed over 200,000 views as of writing, claims a recent explosion in Philadelphia was the result of a missile.

“This does not look like a plane coming down. This looks like a missle [sic] or comet, something launched directly down. THIS IS NOT A PLANE. LOOK AT THIS. JUST HAPPENED,” the video’s caption reads. The video appears to show footage of the explosion captured via a nearby doorbell camera.

The claim is false. According to local news outlet 6ABC, a medical transport jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31. A total of seven people, including a child, were killed as a result of the incident, while at least 19 others were injured. A large fire also followed the crash, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Video Doesn’t Provide Full Context To Police Stop)

Likewise, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a statement indicating investigators had recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

“The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of 8 feet.​ NTSB investigators also recovered the airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data. Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation,” the statement reads in part.

Neither 6ABC nor the NTSB mentioned anything about a missile purportedly causing the explosion, as the X video claims.

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Feb. 3, Lead Stories debunked the claim, citing multiple sources, including an X post from @flightradar24.

Check Your Fact has contacted the NTSB for comment.