FACT CHECK: No, This Video Does Not Prove There Were No Planes Used In The 9/11 Attacks

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows an explosion erupting spontaneously from within one of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

Verdict: False

The footage has been digitally altered. The original footage shows the explosion was the result of a plane hitting the building.

Fact Check:

Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City as part of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, according to NPR. Gatherings were held across the U.S. on Sept. 11 this year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the attacks, the outlet reported.

A video shared on Facebook attempts to baselessly suggest no planes were involved in the attack in New York. The video shows black smoke billowing from one of the World Trade Center towers before an explosion seemingly spontaneously rips through the other.

“They never thought people who filmed the attacks on 9/11 with their JVC handycam would post it to social media years later,” claims the post’s caption. “There were never any planes, share the heck out of this.” (RELATED: Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Say, ‘9/11 Wasn’t That Big Of A Deal’?)

The video, however, appears to have been digitally altered to remove the plane, deceptively making the explosion seem as if it erupted from within the building. The original footage can be found on YouTube where it was shared by the account EnhancedWTCVideos. In the video, which the account attributes to PIX11 photojournalist Keith Lopez, a plane can be seen clearly flying through the air before hitting the building. The footage shows the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, striking the South Tower, according to PIX11.

A video of Lopez talking about his experience filming the event can be found on PIX11’s verified Instagram account. Lopez’s footage of the event was also the subject of a 2002 article from Observer. He was not, however, the only person to capture footage of United Airlines Flight 175 hitting the South Tower. Several others also caught the moment of impact, including CNN’s live broadcast.

This is not the first time a viral Facebook post has spread misinformation about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In August, Check Your Fact debunked another viral claim that alleged no planes were used in the attacks.

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