FACT FOCUS: Online posts make unfounded claims about a helicopter delivering aid in North Carolina

A video of a helicopter attempting to land in a Burnsville, North Carolina, parking lot used to store supplies for victims of Hurricane Helene has been viewed millions of times online, with many claiming that it shows an unidentified government aircraft sent to destroy the aid.

The allegations have been used to support wider misinformation narratives that have grown following the punishing Category 4 storm as federal, state and local governments work with a range of groups to address the sweeping devastation in the area.

The North Carolina National Guard on Tuesday issued a statement verifying it was one of their helicopters attempting to make a generator delivery to the site.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: A video shows a U.S. government helicopter in Burnsville, North Carolina, deliberately wrecking supplies for Hurricane Helene victims.

THE FACTS: The North Carolina National Guard said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the video shows one of its helicopters attempting to make a generator delivery requested by a local civilian organization to power their supply distribution site. As the helicopter descended into a Burnsville parking lot being used for assistance efforts, it kicked up debris and supplies at the site and toppled canopies. The landing was aborted for safety reasons. According to the statement, the helicopter’s crew has been grounded until an investigation into the incident is complete.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard, said, “That was a North Carolina National Guard helicopter. It’s under our command and I’ll take responsibility for it and we own it.”

“As they approached, they noticed that there were too many people and too many tents and commodities too close to the landing site. So they pulled in power to take back off, like a go-around in a helicopter. And the rotor wash caused that damage,” Hunt said.

The video was first shared on TikTok by Megan George, a dog trainer and Coast Guard veteran who said she was setting up a K9 command post. The video had been viewed approximately 7.1 million times as of Thursday.

A caption she shared with the video states that the helicopter “attempted to destroy the distribution area that was set up by locals.” Text that appears on the video suggests that it could have been flown by “special forces or private contractors” and asks, “So who were they? Why did they do this?”

George called the incident “very weird” in a follow-up on TikTok, but encouraged viewers to “try to keep your speculations and stuff to yourself.”

Reached for comment on Thursday, George told The Associated Press that she did not intend for the video to be used as proof of government maleficence, but rather as documentation of a dangerous situation about which she wanted answers.

“When I posted it, I was not trying to imply anything or set a specific tone, but I’m sure because of the way I was typing, it was super late, tensions were high, it was insane, it definitely came across that way,” she said. “And I was panicking because I’m like, I’m pretty sure I just started the Revolutionary War.”

George acknowledged that the helicopter’s behavior “100% could have been error,” but said that she’s still on the fence about whether any malicious intent was involved.

Others who shared the video made more specific claims.

“Masked FEDS are flying unmarked helicopters into Hurricane Helene staging zones and purposely destroying aid meant for victims in western NC,” reads one X post that had approximately 11,000 likes and more than 7,600 shares. “The government has declared war on the American people.”

Some posts described the aircraft as “Kamala Harris Blackhawk Helicopter,” suggesting that the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was to blame.

Hunt’s comments confirmed information contained in the Guard’s Tuesday statement about the incident involving a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

George said the site was cleaned up in about two hours. It was operating Thursday.

Local officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Hurricane Helene blew ashore on Sept. 26 with winds of 140 mph (225 kph). The storm killed more than 230 people, caused widespread wreckage and left millions without power. Recovery was ongoing in some areas hit by Helene as Hurricane Milton, another major storm, made landfall in Florida Wednesday night.

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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.