Texas Air National Guard F-16 bursts into fireball over Michigan after suspected bird strike downs jet during training
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.
A Texas Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed and erupted into flames in Grand Traverse County, Michigan on Thursday after a suspected bird strike wiped out the engine during a routine training sortie. The pilot, flying with the 149th Fighter Wing from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, ejected safely before impact and is in stable condition at a local hospital, conscious and talking to law enforcement. Wingman callsign 'Buck 11' radioed air traffic control warning 'we have a possible Mayday — my wingman I believe may have taken a bird', before advising controllers his wingman was about to eject over a populated area. Michigan State Police ordered a one-mile evacuation around the crash site due to a hazardous chemical spill from the aircraft.
Resident Fred Sobeck, 65, drove toward the crash and saw 'a big fireball in the field' near homes; 'explosions kept happening', his wife Wendy said.
The 149th Fighter Wing was in Michigan for 'Operation Northern Cactus', training student and instructor pilots for deployment to an 'austere environment'.
F-16s carry hydrazine, a highly toxic chemical used as emergency fuel, which triggered the evacuation order and shelter-in-place warning to nearby residents.