A photo showing hundreds of birds appearing to fly near a British Airways jet recently went viral, accompanied by an emotional story that caught the internet’s attention. Curious readers reached out to fact-checking site Snopes to find out if the touching tale was real.

The story, originally shared by a site called happiness-life.org, claimed that a British Airways pilot named Jason became emotional after learning why a flock of birds was flying alongside his aircraft. The headline read, “The pilot’s emotional reaction when he discovered why birds were flying alongside the plane.”

The image, which shows birds seemingly encircling the plane, stirred a lot of interest — and concern. Many people are aware that bird strikes are a real aviation hazard. In fact, about 90% of bird strikes occur near airports during takeoff or landing, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

Americans may remember the dramatic 2009 incident involving US Airways Flight 1549, when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger famously landed the plane on the Hudson River after birds disabled both engines shortly after takeoff — a story later made into a Hollywood film.

As for the viral British Airways story, Snopes investigated both the dramatic photo and the emotional tale to separate fact from fiction. What they uncovered provides some much-needed clarity.