Texas Guard F-16 Crashes Near Traverse City

An F-16 fighter jet from the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed Thursday afternoon during a training exercise in rural Blair Township, southwest of Traverse City in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. The pilot ejected safely, was reported in stable condition and taken to a local hospital for treatment. The aircraft crashed near a field or pond by County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road, producing explosions and heavy black smoke. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for part of County Road 633, closed nearby roads and urged residents to keep windows and vents closed. Officials said no one on the ground was injured and no homes were damaged, while the cause remained under investigation.