An F-16 fighter jet crashed in rural northern Michigan Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames after the pilot ejected and parachuted safely to the ground. The crash happened around 2 p.m. near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road, prompting an evacuation order for everyone within a mile of the site and shutting down nearby roads while emergency crews responded.
The exact location has been described differently across early reports. According to woodtv.com, the crash occurred along County Road 633 between Jeffrey Place and Blair Townhall Road in Green Lake Township, while in.gr placed the site in Blair Township, near the same intersection. The New York Post reported the crash site is near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road in Blair Township, northern Michigan, and that a command post was set up at Blair Township Hall.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Woodtv.com's report cited a military official who confirmed the pilot is stable, while the Post reported the pilot is awake and alert. A local resident, Nicole Blonshine, told the Post she heard the crash from her home and described the sound as a huge explosion; she said the pilot was awake and alert after parachuting to the ground, and that she did not believe anyone on the ground was hurt or that any homes were damaged.
Evacuation Ordered Within A Mile Of The Wreckage
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management ordered everyone within one mile of the crash site to evacuate, per the same woodtv.com account. The Post reported that Grand Traverse County authorities issued the evacuation order and directed residents to evacuate away from the intersection of County Road 633 and Jefferson Place, citing a social media post from county emergency management. Emergency crews were at the crash site and roads in the area were closed, according to in.gr's reporting.
Woodtv.com also reported that a nearby house and camper were not hit despite what was described as a big fireball in the field. An audio recording reviewed by the station indicated that a pilot thought the jet may have hit a bird, though that has not been confirmed as the cause of the crash.
Jet Was Part Of Texas Air National Guard Training Mission
The aircraft belonged to the 149th Fighter Wing, based out of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, according to woodtv.com's reporting. Student and instructor pilots from the unit had traveled to Michigan to take part in Operation Northern Cactus, based out of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. Per thealpenanews.com, the unit has been in northern Michigan this month for training.
The 149th Fighter Wing described the crash as a mishap and said it is investigating, according to the Post's reporting, which also noted the wing operates the F-16 involved and is based at Lackland, Texas. The Post additionally reported, citing Stars and Stripes, that the F-16 unit is in Michigan for training at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, and that F-16 jets were scheduled for a flyover of a high school football game Friday night, as reported by Alpena News.
No further details have been released about the pilot's identity, the specific hospital treating them, or the cause of the crash. Investigators have not issued findings, and it remains unclear whether the reported evacuation order was still in effect as of Thursday evening.
