F-16 Crashes in Rural Michigan; Pilot Ejects
F-16 Crashes in Rural Michigan; Pilot Ejects
The News
An F-16 fighter jet crashed in rural Grand Traverse County, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon, and the pilot ejected before impact and was taken to a hospital.
The jet burst into flames on the ground, according to the New York Post. Emergency crews were sent to a reported plane crash near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road in Blair Township.
Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the area and told residents to stay away.
What Officials Have Confirmed
Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine said she was told the aircraft was an F-16 but that she does not have "100% confirmation." She said the pilot parachuted out before the jet went down.
CBS News reported the F-16 came from Texas. The pilot's condition has not been released.
Timeline
A military fighter aircraft, reported to be an F-16, goes down in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Responders are dispatched to a crash near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road in Blair Township.
A shelter-in-place order is issued for the area around the crash site, with officials warning the public to stay away.
The pilot, who ejected and parachuted clear of the aircraft before impact, is taken to a hospital.
Reactions
Blonshine, the Blair Township supervisor, described what she had been told about the aircraft and the pilot's ejection while stressing she lacked full confirmation of the jet's type.
Local officials' message to residents, relayed by ZeroHedge, was blunt: "Stay away from the area."
RedState called it "a scary scene" that unfolded Thursday afternoon over Michigan, with the pilot ejecting in time.
What's Next
The military has not yet publicly identified the unit the jet belonged to or the pilot involved, and no official cause has been announced. Crash investigations of this kind are handled by the Air Force, which typically convenes an accident investigation board and releases findings later.
Authorities have not said how long the shelter-in-place order around the site will remain in force, or when the wreckage recovery will be finished.
More
Coverage of the crash so far comes from a mix of outlets — CBS News, the New York Post, RedState, ZeroHedge and Citizen Free Press — with details still thin and some of the basics, including the aircraft type, not formally confirmed by the military.
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