Print
Close
Texas Air National Guard pilot ejects safely before F-16 crash in Michigan
By Louis Casiano
Published September 17, 2026
A Texas Air National Guard pilot was forced to eject from a fighter jet during a "mishap" Thursday in Michigan, officials said.
The pilot, who is with the 149th Fighter Wing based at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, was flying a routine training mission in an F-16, when the unspecified mishap occurred seven miles south of Grand Traverse, Michigan, a unit spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The pilot ejected before the crash and is in stable condition, officials said.
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND MAKING MOVIE ABOUT EPIC IRAN RESCUE MISSION TO SAVE F-15 FIGHTER JET CREW
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft flies in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 5, 2026. A Texas Air National Guard pilot flying a training mission ejected from a fighter jet just before it crashed in Michigan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Adriana Jordan-Alcaniz, File)
No further information about the crash or the pilot was disclosed.
"I’m aware of the plane crash near Traverse City," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wrote on social media. "I am closely monitoring the situation as we work to get more information on the incident. I am praying that the pilot and folks on the ground are safe."
TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS
An F-16 jet fighter is seen over San Diego. (Getty Images, File)
Video footage posted to X shows black smoke rising into the sky from what is presumably the crash site.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Grand Traverse Emergency Management Agency ordered everyone within a mile of the site to evacuate the area.
"Evacuate away from the intersection of Co Rd 633 and Jefferson Pl. Follow instructions from emergency personnel," the agency said.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-air-national-guard-pilot-ejects-safely-before-f-16-crash-michigan