- A Texas-based F-16 fighter jet participating in a training exercise at a National Guard base crashed and burst into flames in rural Michigan on Thursday.
- The pilot ejected before impact and was rushed to a hospital for medical treatment, though details regarding their identity and condition remain undisclosed due to military policy.
- Grand Traverse County Emergency Management issued an immediate evacuation order for residents within a one-mile radius of the crash site near County Road 633 and Jefferson Place.
- Witnesses near the scene reported hearing a massive crash and observing a large fireball and thick black smoke, with secondary explosions continuing in the debris field following the impact.
- The jet belonged to the 149th Fighter Wing stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, marking another major safety incident involving Air Force F-16 aircraft.
IN FULL
F-16 fighter jet crashes in Michigan and bursts into flames with residents told to evacuate
