A Texas Air National Guard F-16 from the 149th Fighter Wing crashed during a routine training mission in northern Michigan on Wednesday, with the pilot ejecting safely and being taken to hospital for treatment. The aircraft was operating from the Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Centre in Alpena as part of annual training near Grand Traverse County, close to Blair Township and Green Lake Township.
Michigan State Police and local responders moved quickly to the scene near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road, first ordering a shelter-in-place and then evacuating people within one mile after a hazardous chemical spill linked to the jet. Reporting identified the substance as hydrazine. No injuries were reported on the ground, and the evacuation order was lifted later the same evening.
The pilot was conscious and speaking after ejecting and later described as stable, while the pilot’s identity was not released. The jet was involved in an exercise identified as Operation Northern Cactus. The crash remains under investigation, with a bird strike discussed in initial reporting as a possible cause but not confirmed.