An F-16 crashes in Michigan during a routine training exercise on Thursday, and the pilot ejected safely, according to a military spokesman.
Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing in Texas, said the pilot was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. He declined to provide the pilot’s identity or details on injuries, citing military policy.
The jet was involved in training at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, a National Guard base roughly 190 miles north of Detroit.
Residents in the rural area reported a loud impact, and photos shared online showed a dark column of smoke rising from the scene.
Nearby resident Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a “very loud crash” minutes from 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,” Sobeck said. “You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening.”
F-16 crashes in Michigan during training
Officials did not immediately release additional details about the cause of the crash. No other injuries were reported as of Thursday evening.
Hawaiʻi residents with ties to the military community may recognize Alpena as a frequent host for large-scale Guard and Air Force training events, which often draw units from across the country, including the Pacific.
