DETROIT (AP) — An F-16 fighter jet from Texas crashed in rural Michigan during a routine training exercise on Thursday, and the pilot ejected safely, a military spokesman said.
Local authorities ordered people within one mile of the crash site in Grand Traverse County to evacuate.
Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said the pilot was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. Gutierrez declined to release details about the pilot’s identity or any injuries, citing military policy.
The plane was participating in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, about 190 miles (305 kilometers) north of Detroit.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash, and images posted to social media showed a dark plume of smoke in the air.
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management posted on social media telling people to "evacuate away from the intersection of Co Rd 633 and Jefferson Pl."
"Follow instructions from emergency personnel," the post continued.
Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a “very loud crash” down the road, minutes from their rural 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,” Sobeck said. “You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening.”
