[Representation Pic]
[Representation Pic] Reports that a drone crashed into a Southwest Airlines plane after it took off from New York has turned out to be a hoax.Reuters File

A video showing a shocking midair collision between a drone and a Southwest Airline plane over the Hudson river should not be taken seriously as it is nothing but an elaborate hoax, it emerged on Sunday.

The video, which was posted on YouTube on 23 June has since gone viral. The fake video even left the low cost American aviation major - Southwest Airlines - fuming.

The hoax video was created by special effects expert Bruce Branit of BranitFX and Lucamax Pictures, famous for the creepy spider crawling out of a man's ear clip.

The video fooled hundreds as it was being claimed that it was taken by eye witnesses while the Southwest plane took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The Mirror, which called it a 'terrifying footage', noted that the viral clip captured a moment when the drone is seen hitting the Southwest Airlines plane. After the crash, worried passengers are heard expressing their concern, even as parts of the aircraft is seen getting ripped away as an effect of the collision.

The creator of the viral video, Bruce Branit, has now admitted that he shot the video while the plane was climbing out of Laguardia. Branit said he made the video as a creative challenge as it was a difficult task to "make something go by or even strike the wing," Mashable noted citing Branit.

Branit also stated that he was inspired by the famous 2009 Hudson river plane landing incident, as the video was filmed on the same air corridor. 

The video raked up quite a furore on social media, so much so that the airline even released a statement establishing how the video was fake.

"We wanted to bring a fake drone strike video to your attention, as it is gaining momentum across the social web and sparking interest from traditional news media," an internal Southwest message said, reported, The Dallas Morning News.

"The video shows a winglet colliding with a drone on ascent near LaGuardia Airport. The winglet is SWA colours and branding, but if you look closely it says "Branit.com," which is a portfolio site for a special effects artist," the alert said.

"The Communication Team has confirmed the video is fake, and is working with the FAA to squash any reports of it being real."

While the drone crash incident is now proved to be a hoax, incidentally on 13 June a Southwest Airlines pilot, during the landing at Oakland International Airport, spotted a drone flying near the airport, ABC7News had reported.

Twitter Reactions

Keith Radford ‏@kradwkbw 

Drone crashes into wing of Southwest 737 taking off from NYC..Passenger video amazing..

NYCAviation ‏@NYCAviation 

To those who have been asking, this video claiming a drone struck their Southwest 737 out of LGA is fake

Brett Solesky ‏@BSolesky 

@SouthwestAir Video appears to show a drone hitting the wing of a Southwest Airlines flight on approach any comment?

 

Alex Block ‏@alex_block 

Yikes! A Southwest airline flight hits a drone, clips the 737's winglet:

Ron Big Rig Michaels ‏@bigrig98rock

Drone hits a Southwest plane and takes a chunk of the wing OFF!! Justa few more feet to the right and good loard. 

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