An F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed and burst into flames in northern Michigan during a training exercise after the pilot’s wingman reported a possible bird strike, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The Texas National Guard pilot safely ejected before the warplane went down in Grand Traverse County.
Radio traffic captured the tense moments before the crash as a pilot using the callsign “Buck 11” contacted air traffic control.
Buck 11 reported that his wingman’s aircraft may have struck a bird and lost an engine.
The controller attempted to direct the pilots toward a nearby airport, but the situation deteriorated as the damaged jet remained over the area.
Buck 11 then warned that the other pilot was preparing to abandon the aircraft.
“Alert emergency services!… He’s gonna have to get out, and it’s gonna be in the town that I’m overhead now,” Buck 11 says.
The pilot ejected from the F-16 and parachuted safely to the ground before the fighter jet crashed. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment following the incident.
Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine told The Post that the pilot was awake and alert after reaching the ground.
She also said she did not believe anyone on the ground had been injured or that any homes had sustained damage.
The aircraft was flying with the 149th Fighter Wing from Lackland, Texas. The unit confirmed that the jet went down following what it described as a “mishap.”
“We are currently investigating the mishap,” a spokesperson for the 149th Fighter Wing told The Post.
The crash produced an explosion that Blonshine said she could hear from her home. When she went outside, she saw a large plume of smoke rising from the area and initially feared that a residence had exploded.
“It sounded like a huge explosion. I ran out, and I saw a big smoke plume, and my first thought was somebody’s house blew up,” she told The Post.
Authorities established a command post inside the Blair Township hall as officials responded to the crash site.
County authorities also ordered everyone living within one mile of the site to evacuate while emergency crews handled the scene.
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management posted the evacuation instructions on social media.
The agency directed residents to move away from the intersection near the crash and to comply with directions from emergency personnel.
“Evacuate within 1 mile of the site. Evacuate away from the intersection of Co Rd 633 and Jefferson Pl. Follow instructions from emergency personnel,” Grand Traverse County Emergency Management posted on social media.
The F-16 unit was in Michigan for training at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. The crash occurred during a training exercise involving the Texas National Guard pilot and his wingman.
✈️ F-16 fighter jet crashes during training exercise in northern Michigan, pilot in stable condition
The plane was participating in training exercises at a National Guard Base in Alpena, Michigan.The crash was in Blair Township, which is southwest of Traverse City in Grand… pic.twitter.com/hofaE3qXqE [2]
— Steve Gruber (@stevegrubershow) September 17, 2026 [3]
The aircraft involved was an F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the pilot managed to eject before the jet struck the ground and caught fire.
The radio recording indicated that the suspected bird strike may have disabled an engine before the emergency unfolded.
Buck 11’s warning gave air traffic control notice that the pilot would have to eject and that the aircraft could come down near the town below.
Emergency services were alerted as the pilot prepared to escape the stricken fighter jet.
An F-16 fighter jet crashed in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, on Thursday, and an evacuation order is in effect along part of County Road 633, the county’s emergency management said. https://t.co/5cSmsi0S62 [4] pic.twitter.com/lVGAplmTuK [5]
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) September 17, 2026 [6]
The unit’s visit to Michigan also included plans involving the local community.
The jets were scheduled to conduct a flyover at a high school football game Friday night, according to the Alpena News.
Officials did not report injuries to people on the ground or damage to houses in the information provided after the crash.
The evacuation order nevertheless covered residents within one mile of the site while authorities secured the surrounding area.
The 149th Fighter Wing said the circumstances surrounding the mishap remained under investigation.
Meanwhile, the pilot’s safe ejection and alert condition marked the key development after a dramatic engine emergency, urgent radio calls, and a fiery crash in northern Michigan.