Apparently, it was a missile, the government was involved, and the lack of easily recognisable aircraft parts on the ground proves something sinister happened.

Then came the YouTubers comparing the wreckage to the September 11 attack on the Pentagon and the lack of visible aircraft parts, as though putting two crash videos beside each other amounts to an investigation.

These are the kinds of statements I’ve been reading on social media following the Learjet crash in Florida, and the confidence behind them is extraordinary.

Fly-by-night conspiracy theorists have been announcing their conclusions while investigators are still recovering evidence.

People who appear to have little understanding of aviation are presenting themselves as authorities on aircraft structures, impact damage and the circumstances of the crash.

I’ve been around aviation my entire life, and watching this nonsense circulate is infuriating.…