A Texas Air National Guard pilot escaped an F-16 crash in northern Michigan, while urgent radio traffic pointed to a possible bird strike.
The F-16 went down in Grand Traverse County during a training exercise and burst into flames. The pilot ejected before impact and received medical care at a nearby hospital.
Fox News reported that the pilot was in stable condition. Authorities also ordered people within one mile of the crash site to leave the area.
The pilot served with the 149th Fighter Wing, based at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Breitbart reported that the jet was flying a routine training mission from the combat training center in Alpena.
The wreckage created risks beyond the initial impact. The Associated Press reported that hazardous chemicals and repeated explosions prompted temporary evacuations before authorities lifted the order later that evening.
The clearest early clue came from a pilot using the callsign Buck 11. The New York Post reported his urgent warning to air traffic controllers:
“We have a possible mayday by wingman, I believe may have taken a bird,”
Buck 11 then warned emergency crews that the other pilot was running out of options:
“Alert emergency services!...He’s gonna have to get out, and it’s gonna be in the town that I’m overhead now,”
An air traffic controller tried to guide the pilots toward a nearby airport. But the damaged aircraft did not make it there, and the pilot ejected before the F-16 crashed.
The radio call raises the possibility that a bird strike disabled the engine. It does not settle the cause. The 149th Fighter Wing said it was investigating what the unit called a “mishap.”
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management directed residents within one mile to evacuate away from the crash area and follow instructions from emergency personnel. Local officials also set up a command post at the township hall.
Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine said she heard what sounded like a large explosion from her home. She then saw a smoke plume and first thought a house had exploded.
Blonshine said the pilot was awake and alert after parachuting to the ground. She also told Just the News, “I don’t believe anyone on the ground was hurt or that any homes were damaged.”
Her statement reflected the early assessment from the scene. The hazardous wreckage still gave authorities ample reason to move residents back while emergency crews secured the area.
The safe ejection is established across several accounts. The bird-strike theory is not. Investigators still must determine what disabled the aircraft and provide a clear account of the crash.
Competent government protects the public first and gives a straight account afterward. The investigation should do both.