A photo of hundreds of birds appearing to fly near a British Airways airplane was virally shared with an inspiring story. Snopes looked for answers..

A story accurately retells an incident in which a British Airways pilot named Jason had an emotional reaction after he discovered why birds were flying alongside his airplane.

In March 2024, Snopes received reader mail asking about a story claiming a pilot reacted emotionally after realizing why a flock of birds was flying next to his airplane. The article’s headline from the happiness-life.org website shared by one reader read, “The pilot’s emotional reaction when he discovered why birds were flying alongside the plane.”

The story featured a striking photo of hundreds of birds appearing to surround a British Airways flight. Such photos might lead some readers to think of bird strikes — a common aviation incident in which airplanes and birds come into contact with each other. About 90% of bird strikes take place at or near airports, usually during takeoff or landing, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

One of the most famous bird-strike incidents was US Airways Flight 1549 — the flight Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed safely in the Hudson River in 2009.

Snopes looked for answers and found the truth regarding both the viral story and the photo.