(AP MODIFIED) — An F-16 fighter jet from Texas crashed in northern Michigan during a routine training exercise on Thursday, and the pilot ejected safely, a military spokesman said.
Right now, Michigan State Police said in a statement on X that all businesses and residential properties within a one-mile radius of County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road are being evacuated due to a hazardous chemical spill related to the plane crash.
Watch the latest on this developing story in the video below:
Police are asking people to avoid the area.
Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said the pilot was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. Gutierrez declined to release details about the pilot’s identity or any injuries, citing military policy.
MSP personnel are assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office with its response to a plane crash involving a military jet near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Rd.
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 17, 2026
The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs confirms the incident involves an F-16 from… pic.twitter.com/ymc94H4jak
The plane was participating in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash, and images posted to social media showed a dark plume of smoke in the air.
Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a “very loud crash” down the road, minutes from their rural 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.”
