The pilot ejected safely and was hospitalized in stable condition as authorities evacuated residents near the Grand Traverse County crash site.
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI — A Texas Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in northern Michigan on Thursday during a routine training mission, prompting an evacuation around the crash site after the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft.
The jet belonged to the 149th Fighter Wing, which is based at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. The Texas Military Department said the aircraft had been flying from the Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena when it experienced an incident Thursday afternoon. The pilot was taken to a nearby hospital for medical care and was reported in stable condition. The cause of the crash had not been announced.
The aircraft went down in Grand Traverse County near County Road 633, southwest of Traverse City. Emergency officials initially issued a shelter-in-place order for part of the area, telling residents to remain indoors and close windows and vents. Authorities later ordered people within about one mile of the crash site to evacuate while emergency crews worked in the area.
Michigan State Police, which was assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, said no other injuries had been reported. Local officials also said they had no early reports that nearby homes were damaged. Roads around the crash site were closed as police, firefighters and other emergency personnel responded, and officials asked the public to stay away from the area.
The F-16 was participating in a routine training exercise connected with the Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena. The center hosts military units for exercises and training in northern Michigan. The 149th Fighter Wing operates F-16 aircraft and conducts pilot training for the Air National Guard.
Witnesses near the crash site described hearing a loud impact before seeing dark smoke rise from the rural area. Wendy Sobeck, who lives nearby, told The Associated Press that she and her husband initially thought there had been a vehicle crash near their home. Her husband went toward the area and saw aircraft debris in a field, she said. Emergency crews continued working around the wreckage as authorities maintained restrictions around the scene.
Officials had not publicly identified the pilot Thursday evening. Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said the pilot was receiving treatment at a local hospital but declined to provide additional information about the pilot’s identity or injuries, citing military policy.
The military also had not released a preliminary cause for the crash. Reports based on air traffic communications raised questions about what may have happened shortly before the pilot ejected, but authorities had not confirmed those accounts. No official finding had been released linking the crash to a mechanical problem, bird strike or other specific cause.
The crash follows other F-16 accidents involving military training flights, including a December 2020 crash in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In that case, a Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot was killed during a nighttime training mission. An Air Force investigation later attributed that crash to spatial disorientation amid poor weather and navigation problems. Authorities had given no indication Thursday that the earlier crash was related to the latest incident.
Emergency personnel remained at the Grand Traverse County site Thursday as military and local authorities worked to secure the wreckage and surrounding area. The evacuation remained the most immediate concern for nearby residents, while the military was expected to investigate what caused the F-16 to go down.
Author note: Last updated September 17, 2026.