A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 pilot is missing after a fighter jet crash in Michigan

Ryan Pickrell
A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft
A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16. US Air Force

  • A Wisconsin National Guard F-16 fighter jet crashed in Michigan during a routine training flight on Tuesday night, the Guard said in a Facebook post.

  • The pilot is missing, according to the 115th Fighter Wing, which says a search is ongoing. The status of the missing airman is unknown at this time.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during a routine training flight Tuesday evening, and the fate of the pilot is still unknown.

The fighter jet, which went down around 8 p.m. in Delta County, Michigan, was assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison, Wisconsin.

"Emergency responders are on scene," the Wisconsin National Guard said in a post on Facebook. "The cause of the crash, as well as the status of the pilot, are unknown at this time, and the incident is under investigation."

A search is ongoing for the missing pilot, the 115th Fighter Wing said in a separate Facebook post. The fighter wing has been working with local authorities, the Coast Guard, and other government agencies to locate the airman.

"We are a close knit family and when an incident like this occurs, every member in our organization feels it," Col. Bart Van Roo, the 115th Fighter Wing commander, said. "The safety of our pilot along with search and rescue efforts are our top priority, and we will continue to pray for the pilot's safe return."

The US military has seen a handful of F-16 crashes this year, some of which have been deadly.

In mid-July, a US Air Force F-16C Viper crashed while landing at Holloman Air Force base in New Mexico. The pilot of the single-seat aircraft was able to eject successfully and sustained only minor injuries.

In June, an Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon crashed during a late-night flight at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. The pilot, 1st Lt. David Schmitz, died after being taken to a local hospital.

In November last year, Air Force Magazine reported that the Air Force said that it had seen no data pointing to any safety issues with the fighter aircraft, despite a string of F-16 crashes over the years.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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