F-16 crashes on training run in Michigan; pilot safely ejects

An F-16 crashed during a training flight in Grand Traverse County in northern Michigan on Thursday afternoon, and the pilot successfully ejected, military officials confirmed. The incident was documented in video footage shared by local news outlets that showed a substantial plume of black smoke in the vicinity of residential properties.

Authorities confirmed the pilot ejected and was reported safe; beyond that, details about injuries, damage to property, or the cause of the crash were not provided in the initial reports. Local emergency response and military personnel typically secure crash sites and begin investigations after such incidents, though no specific investigative timeline or agency lead was detailed in the accounts provided.

The Texas Military Department was referenced in reporting about the event. Media coverage focused on the pilot's ejection and the dramatic visuals from the scene as the earliest publicly available information while follow-up statements and investigation findings were pending.

Officials and residents in the area captured and circulated footage of the aftermath, which contributed to rapid local reporting. Further official updates, including any formal investigation results or additional statements from military authorities, were expected to clarify circumstances surrounding the training flight and crash.