Texas Air National Guard F-16 crashes in Michigan, US — AeroTime
An F-16 fighter jet of the Texas Air National Guard crashed during a training flight in northern Michigan, United States, on September 17, 2026. The pilot safely ejected and was found after the aircraft fell near Blair Township in Grand Traverse County.
Pilot hospitalized
The aircraft belonged to the 149th Fighter Wing, based at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland in Texas. Wing spokesperson Sergeant Derek Gutierrez told the Associated Press that the pilot is receiving treatment at a local hospital.
As AeroTime reports, the unit was in Michigan for training at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. No injuries on the ground were reported.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Evacuation near crash site
Video from the crash site released on social media shows thick black smoke above the wreckage, which likely fell in a residential area. Grand Traverse County emergency services ordered residents within a one-mile radius to leave the area, including near the intersection of County Road 633 and Jefferson Place. Authorities also set up a command post at a nearby township building.
The 149th Fighter Wing is investigating the crash. The available reports did not name the cause of the aircraft's fall.
