Texas Air National Guard pilot ejects safely before F-16 crash in Michigan

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A Texas Air National Guard pilot was forced to eject from a fighter jet during a "mishap" Thursday in Michigan , officials said.

The pilot, who is with the 149th Fighter Wing based at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas , was flying a routine training mission in an F-16 , when the unspecified mishap occurred seven miles south of Grand Traverse, Michigan, a unit spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The pilot ejected before the crash and is in stable condition, officials said.

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A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft flies in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 5, 2026. A Texas Air National Guard pilot flying a training mission ejected from a fighter jet just before it crashed in Michigan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Adriana Jordan-Alcaniz, File)

"I’m aware of the plane crash near Traverse City," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wrote on social media. "I am closely monitoring the situation as we work to get more information on the incident. I am praying that the pilot and folks on the ground are safe."

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Video footage posted to X shows black smoke rising into the sky from what is presumably the crash site.

The Grand Traverse Emergency Management Agency ordered everyone within a mile of the site to evacuate the area .

"Evacuate away from the intersection of Co Rd 633 and Jefferson Pl. Follow instructions from emergency personnel," the agency said.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] .