Michigan news: Man describes finding US military F-16 fighter jet pilot after crash during training exercise - ABC7 Chicago

A U.S. military F-16 from Texas Air National Guard crashed in northern Michigan during a training exercise; the pilot ejected safely and was hospitalized in stable condition, while 30 people, including first responders, were treated for possible exposure to hazardous chemicals from the fuel hydrazine. Homes within about a mile were evacuated, with most residents allowed back later, as investigators determine the cause of the crash.

# Michigan news: Man describes finding US military F-16 fighter jet pilot after crash during training exercise - ABC7 Chicago Published: 2026-09-19T00:28:33+00:00 Source: abc7chicago.com (abc7chicago.com) Language: en ## Story Michigan news: Man describes finding US military F-16 fighter jet pilot after crash during training exercise - ABC7 Chicago # Man describes finding US military F-16 fighter jet pilot after Michigan crash By Aaron Cooper, Jillian Sykes Saturday, September 19, 2026 12:28AM There is Michigan news. A man described finding a US military F-16 fighter jet pilot after a crash during a training exercise. WLS BLAIR TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- A US military F-16 fighter jet crashed in northern Michigan during a training exercise Thursday afternoon, with the pilot ejecting and 30 people being treated for toxic chemical exposure, officials reported. The Texas Military Department said the F-16 belonged to the Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing and was doing a routine training mission from a National Guard base in Alpena, Michigan, when it crashed in Grand Traverse County. "The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft," the department said. "We have a possible mayday by wingman. I believe (they) may have taken a bird," a military pilot alerted air traffic controllers, according to audio captured by LiveATC.net. Ed Wilson saw the jet flying erratically moments before it crashed. "I saw the fighter... with its nose up and it was and it was extremely low and I knew that it was going down," he told CNN affiliate WPBN. The cause of the crash has not…

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