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An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet assigned to a Texas Air National Guard unit crashed Thursday during a training mission near Traverse City, Michigan, with the pilot ejecting safely, according to the unit involved.
The jet belonged to the 149th Fighter Wing, a Texas-based Air National Guard unit, which confirmed the crash in a statement posted to its Facebook page. The aircraft "crashed during a routine training mission" in the vicinity of Traverse City, the unit said.
The pilot was able to eject from the F-16 before impact and there was no immediate word on their condition. The 149th Fighter Wing said the incident is now under investigation, though it did not release additional details on the cause of the crash or the circumstances surrounding it.
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management said on Facebook that an evacuation order had been put in place "due to a plane crash," though the agency did not specify the boundaries of the evacuation zone or how many residents were affected.
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said on the social media platform X that he was "aware of the plane crash near Traverse City" and was "closely monitoring the situation as we work to get more information on the incident." Peters, one of Michigan's two U.S. senators, did not provide further specifics.
No additional information was immediately available on the extent of any damage on the ground or whether anyone besides the pilot was injured.
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