So if a Boeing plane is shot down in Iran, it would make sense to say "Iranians shoot down American plane"? During the Iran/Iraq war would have made sense to say "American missiles hit American planes in Iraq"?
Would it make sense for the AP to report that? No, of course not.
Could it make sense for someone to communicate that idea? Sure, absolutely.
Does it make sense to say the sentence you wrote? It really depends on who is saying what, and in which context!
My main point was: this looks like it was a misunderstanding (which, unless the source was fabricated, or just lying to the journalist, it was). I was presenting a hypothetical context in which that misunderstanding could arise.
