A US F-16 fighter jet crashed and burst into flames in northern Michigan on Thursday afternoon (US time). While officials have yet to reveal concrete details about what led to the fiery incident, a post-crash audio recording capturing a distress call shed light on a possible mayday declaration. The clip circulating on social media also appeared to shed light on what could’ve caused the wreckage in a rural area near Traverse City, Michigan.
US fighter jet crashes in Michigan – What happened?
Officials from the Texas Military Department have since confirmed the incident occurred when the jet “experienced an incident” during a routine training mission, NBC News reported. Additionally, the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ spokesperson Michael Kroll disclosed that the jet at the centre of the incident was an F-16 from the Texas Air National Guard.
According to the US Air Force website, an F-16 Fighting Falcon is a “compact, multi-role fighter aircraft” and is “highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack.”
Sgt. Gutierrez said that the aircraft was one of several F-16 jets from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, taking part in the Michigan training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, about 190 miles (305 kilometers) north of Detroit. According to Alpena News, the jets were slated for a flyover of a high school football game on Friday night.
The plane is said to have been occupied by a single individual — the pilot, who safely ejected before the jet crashed. Michigan State Police has since affirmed that the pilot was transferred to a local hospital and is stable.
Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, echoed the claims about the pilot receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, according to the Associated Press. The pilot’s identity and other injury-related details were withheld due to military policy.
Although the incident took place in a residential area, Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine told NBC News in a phone interview that there have been no reports of civilian injuries so far.
BREAKING: An F-16 fighter jet crashed in Blair Township, Grand Traverse County, northern Michigan, near County Road 633.
The pilot ejected successfully and is reported to be conscious and alert.
Plane – Crash – Michigan
🎥TCD News pic.twitter.com/rc3Ig0rVkn— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) September 17, 2026
Air traffic control audio reveals potential fighter jet crash cause
Air traffic control audio obtained by various US media outlets, including NBC News and CBS News, corroborated the slim details of the incident known so far. According to the audio clip, the possible mayday may bird-related incident.
“We have a possible mayday. My wingman, I believe, may have taken a bird,” a man is heard speaking on the call.
Thereafter, responders ask him if he wants to land at Frankfort, while laying out other potential landing sites. However, the pilot’s associate replies, “Negative. Buck One One. I need to alert emergency services,” signalling that the crash may have already occurred.
ATC officials bring up the same question to confirm the jet’s status: “So, the aircraft is on the ground already, then?”
The wingman is heard saying the pilot involved in the crash told him that “he was going to have to get out.” When questioned, “How many souls are on that aircraft?” the speaker confirmed, “There is a single.”
ATC officials then directed the other channel to keep an eye out for a downed military jet in the area.
“I do not see a parachute currently… I’m confident that he ejected,” comes the response.
The audio also describes “a lot of black smoke” after reporting “it appears that they may have lost an engine and ejected.”
F-16 crash ATC audio, BUCK 11 flt x2 F-16s were flying along the VFR low level route VR634 when the 11 advised MINNEAPOLIS CENTER that his wingman may have hit a bird and was going to eject just south of Traverse City, Michigan
Audio via @liveatc https://t.co/sUR7KZBR2j pic.twitter.com/QdcE4ePiUd— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 17, 2026
Evacuations prompted; eyewitnesses recount fiery incident
State police have since divulged that all businesses and residential properties within a 1-mile radius of the military jet crash were evacuated due to a hazardous chemical spill tied to the mishap.
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management had issued the evacuation order and set up a shelter at a nearby church. The American Red Cross was on the scene to assist residents. The evacuation order has since been rescinded.
Witnesses opened up about hearing the loud crash, as seen in several US reports. Social media posts additionally showed pictures of a dark plume of smoke in the air in a residential area.
Wendy Sobeck and her husband claimed to have heard a “very loud crash” down the road, minutes away from their rural home.
“We thought there was a car accident outside our house. We saw big billowing black smoke,” she said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “We couldn’t tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened. You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening.”
A 65-year-old man said he saw a “big fireball in the field” near a house and a camper, which weren’t hit, as he was driving down the road. AP reported that he was told by the police to get out of the area because of explosions.
Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine told NBC News that although she didn’t witness the crash firsthand, she heard it from her office. Also speaking to The New York Post, Blonshine said, “It sounded like a huge explosion. I ran out, and I saw a big smoke plume, and my first thought was somebody’s house blew up.”
Yet another witness, Nicole Conrad, told NBC News that her children were first to catch sight of the jet.
“I hear a big boom, and then I see a colorful parachute and this guy floating down from the sky,” she told the media outlet.
“The jet just went straight in with a nose up and disappeared,” added another witness, Ed Wilson, who saw the plane crashing and the subsequent explosion and black smoke.