United States Air Force F-16C Crash

An F-16 of the Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing crashed near Blair Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, on the afternoon of 17 September 2026. The jet was flying a low-level visual route as the second aircraft of a two-ship out of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, where the wing was deployed for Operation Northern Cactus. Radio traffic recorded the leader reporting that the wingman may have ingested a bird, though The War Zone noted the cause could not be independently confirmed. The pilot ejected and was taken to hospital in stable condition. The aircraft burned out in a field close to houses, and local authorities ordered a shelter-in-place over smoke and hydrazine from the emergency power unit.