00:26F-16 fighter jet has crashed
00:29during a training exercise in northern Michigan
00:32as the pilot survived the crash
00:35after successfully ejecting from the aircraft.
00:38The incident happened Thursday
00:39in rural Grand Traverse County, Michigan,
00:43as the aircraft was taking part
00:44in a military training exercise.
00:47According to a military spokesman,
00:49the F-16 was one of several fighter jets
00:52from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas,
00:56participating in the exercises.
00:58The training was connected to activities
01:01at a National Guard base in Alpena,
01:04roughly 190 miles north of Detroit.
01:07Then came the crash.
01:09Witnesses reported hearing a very loud explosion,
01:12followed by a large plume of dark smoke
01:15rising into the air.
01:17Images circulating from the scene
01:19showed smoke above the crash area,
01:21while witnesses described seeing aircraft debris
01:24scattered across a field.
01:26One local resident said she and her husband
01:28initially thought they had heard a car accident,
01:31but when they went to investigate,
01:33they saw a large fireball and billowing black smoke.
01:38Another witness said police instructed him
01:40to leave the area because explosions were continuing.
01:43The crash site was near homes and a camper,
01:47but reports indicate those structures
01:49were not hit by the aircraft.
01:51Now, what about the pilot?
01:53The pilot successfully ejected before the crash
01:56and was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
01:59Military officials have not released the pilot's identity.
02:02They have also declined to provide details
02:05about the pilot's injuries, citing military policy.
02:08The cause of the crash is still under investigation,
02:11and this is not the first recent F-16 crash
02:15involving a pilot who successfully ejected.
02:18In December, an F-16C fighting Falcon
02:22operated by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
02:25crashed in the Southern California desert.
02:27The pilot in that incident also ejected safely.
02:31The F-16 has been in U.S. military service since 1979.
02:36According to the Air Force Safety Center,
02:39there have been at least 14 Class A mishaps
02:42involving F-16 aircraft since 2000.
02:45A Class A mishap generally involves
02:48an aircraft being destroyed,
02:50a service member being killed,
02:51or damage exceeding $2 million.
02:55For now, the focus is on the investigation,
02:57what caused the F-16 to crash,
03:00and whether any mechanical, operational,
03:03or other factors contributed to the incident.
03:05The key update tonight is clear.
03:08An F-16 from Texas crashed during training
03:11in northern Michigan,
03:12but the pilot was able to eject safely
03:15and survive the crash.
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03:34and just an update on the GlobalCBS online,
03:37and play in the paper already.
03:37And we will see how we can see you in the future.
03:37And now we will see you in the future.
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