An F-16 pilot safely ejected from the fighter jet that crashed on Thursday in a rural area of Michigan, causing plumes of smoke to rise into the sky. The incident led to temporary evacuations for nearby residents due to hazardous chemicals spilling from the wreckage, as confirmed by local police.
Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, mentioned that the pilot was under medical care at a local hospital. Details regarding the pilot’s identity or injuries were withheld in accordance with military policy.
Sheriff Michael D. Shea of Grand Traverse County stated in a press briefing that the pilot remained conscious and was cooperating with law enforcement at the hospital. The fighter jet was engaged in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, approximately 305 kilometers north of Detroit.
Witnesses, like Nathan Smith and Wendy Sobeck, described hearing a loud crash and seeing billowing smoke following the incident. Emergency responders initially advised nearby residents to stay put, but later evacuated individuals within a 1.6-kilometer radius due to a hazardous chemical spill linked to the crash. The specific nature of the spill was not disclosed, though F-16 jets are known to utilize hydrazine, a toxic substance, in their emergency power unit fuel.
The evacuation order was lifted by Thursday evening, allowing affected residents to return home near the crash site, according to Grand Traverse County Emergency Management. The F-16 involved was part of a group of aircraft from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, participating in the Michigan training drills.
Since the introduction of the first F-16s in 1979, there have been at least 14 “Class A mishaps” involving these aircraft, as reported by the Air Force Safety Center. A “Class A mishap” is typically declared when the damage exceeds $2 million, the aircraft is destroyed, or a service member is killed.
In a similar incident in December, an F-16C Fighting Falcon from the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert, with the pilot successfully ejecting from the aircraft.