An F-16 fighter jet from Texas crashed in a rural area of Michigan on Thursday during a routine training exercise, but the pilot ejected safely and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to a military spokesman.
The aircraft had been taking part in exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, located approximately 190 miles north of Detroit, when it went down. Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, confirmed that the pilot was receiving medical care but did not release the pilot’s name or any details about potential injuries, citing standard military policy.
The crash generated a thick plume of dark smoke visible for miles and prompted multiple reports of explosions from residents living near the crash site. The severity of the incident drew immediate attention from nearby communities.
The fighter jet was one of several F-16s operating out of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas that were participating in the Michigan exercises, Gutierrez said.
Residents who witnessed the aftermath described scenes of chaos and destruction. Wendy Sobeck, who lives in the area with her husband, said they initially believed a vehicle had been involved in a crash near their home. “We thought there was a car accident outside our house. We saw big billowing black smoke. We couldn’t tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened,” she said. “You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening,” she added, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Her husband, Fred Sobeck, 65, said he drove toward the crash site and observed flames engulfing the area. “Police told me to get out of there because of explosions,” he said, recalling a “big fireball in the field” near a house and a camper. He confirmed that neither structure was struck by the crash.
The incident adds to a documented history of F-16 mishaps. The US military began operating the F-16 in 1979, and the Air Force Safety Center has recorded at least 14 Class A mishaps involving the aircraft since 2000. The Class A designation generally applies when an incident results in more than $2 million in damage, destroys an aircraft, or causes a service member’s death.
This crash is not an isolated recent event involving the fighter jet. In December, another F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed in California’s desert while flying with the US Air Force Thunderbirds. That pilot also ejected safely from the aircraft.
The F-16 remains one of the most widely used fighter jets in the US military arsenal, but the recurring incidents underscore the inherent risks associated with military flight training operations. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of Thursday’s crash in Michigan.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-f-16-fighter-jet-crashes-in-michigan-bursts-into-flames/articleshow/134321048.cms
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-09-18 02:34:00
