This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
An F-16 military jet from the Texas Air National Guard crash landed in a field during a routine training exercise near Interlochen on Thursday afternoon, according to the Texas Military Department.
Heather Fitzgerald was in a vehicle with her husband near Grawn when she saw the plane flying very low to the ground.
“I saw the top of it fly off and his chute opened and I didn't see the plane after that," Fitzgerald told WCMU. "All of a sudden I was like, ‘Honey, I think that just blew up’ … We both saw there was a big cloud of smoke that came up.”
The Michigan State Police said in a social media post the pilot is in stable condition at a local hospital. No other injuries have been reported, according to the MSP.
MSP personnel are assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office with its response to a plane crash involving a military jet near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Rd.
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 17, 2026
The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs confirms the incident involves an F-16 from… pic.twitter.com/ymc94H4jak
Soon after seeing the pilot eject from the plane, Fitzgerald said she went to the crash site, which was someone's backyard.
"It was just all smoke and it was just billowing out of all of the pieces of the plane,” she said.
The Grand Traverse County Emergency Management office said traffic in the area has been shut down and they're asking residents to avoid the crash site.
Businesses and residential properties within a one-mile radius of County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road are being asked to evacuate. According to the MSP, there has been a hazardous chemical spill from the plane crash.
The Kensington Church at 6880 Secor Road is serving as a shelter for those in need of a place to go. Members of the church and the American Red Cross will be there to assist residents, according to the Grand Traverse County Emergency Management office.
Troopers are asking people to dial 911 if they need assistance evacuating from the area.
The person operating the phones at Blair Township Hall immediately hung up when a WCMU reporter identified themselves and asked if they had any information about the crash.
But Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine told CBS News that no other property damage near the crash has been reported.
The F-16 was based out of the Lackland Air Force Base outside of San Antonio and was conducting its training exercise out of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.
The incident remains under investigation, according to the Texas Military Department.
