A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed in a residential area of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon after the pilot safely ejected, according to officials. The aircraft was on a routine training mission when it went down, said a spokesperson for the Texas Military Department.
Michael Kroll, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, confirmed the jet was an F-16 from the Texas Air National Guard. The pilot is in stable condition and was taken to a local hospital, Michigan State Police reported.
Incident Details
The training mission had originated from the Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Michigan, the military department said. The crash occurred in a residential area, but there have been no reports of civilian injuries, according to Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine. She said she did not witness the crash but heard it from her office.
Witness Nicole Conrad told NBC News that her children noticed the military jet first. “I hear a big boom, and then I see a colorful parachute and this guy floating down from the sky,” she said. Another witness, Ed Wilson, said he saw the plane going down, followed by an explosion and black smoke. “The jet just went straight in with a nose up and disappeared,” he said.
Social media video verified by NBC News appears to show a column of black smoke rising near a home in the area of the reported crash.
Evacuations and Emergency Response
A hazardous chemical spill related to the crash led to the evacuation of all business and residential properties within a 1-mile radius, state police said. Grand Traverse County Emergency Management issued the evacuation order and established a shelter at a nearby church, where the American Red Cross was on the scene to assist residents.
Air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News describes the declaration of a possible mayday after the plane “may have taken a bird.” It goes on to describe “a lot of black smoke” after it reported “it appears that they may have lost an engine and ejected.”
Investigation Underway
The Texas Military Department spokesperson said the incident is under investigation.
According to the Air Force, an F-16 Fighting Falcon is a “compact, multi-role fighter aircraft” that is “highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack.”