F-16 crash chemical spill leaves several hospitalized, police say
F-16 plane crash near Traverse City, Michigan
Michigan National Guard confirmed an F-16 from Texas crashed in northern Michigan’s Grand Traverse County. The pilot was able to safely eject. This video of the crash is from Shellie Doornbos.
(FOX 2) - Several people remain hospitalized after a military jet crashed in northern Michigan on Thursday afternoon.
Law enforcement said first responders were being evaluated at a local hospital after possible exposure to the harmful chemicals from the F-16 that crashed near Blair Township, southwest of Traverse City in Grand Traverse County.
According to audio available on liveatc.net, air traffic controllers were told the pilot of the F-16 might have struck a bird before crashing.
F-16 crash near Traverse City
Catching up:
An F-16 from the Texas Air National Guard was participating in a joint training mission when the jet crashed near rural roads in the northern Lower Peninsula.
The pilot ejected before the crash, which witnesses described happening after the F-16 got low to the ground around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Emergency crews responded to county roads near Blair Township Road where smoke was billowing from a crash site and flames were seen in fields.
The pilot was taken to the hospital for treatment, but was expected to be okay.
The county emergency team issued an evacuation order for residents within a mile-radius of the site due to a chemical spill from the jet crash.
Witness: 'I think his jet just crashed;
Local perspective:
Heather Fitzgerald was traveling with her husband when both saw the jet flying nearby in the community of Grawn, Michigan. She said her husband observed the jet was flying really low and really slow.
"I watched him cross over highway and I looked away for a minute and when I looked back and he was at the tree line and I saw him eject from the jet," Fitzgerald told FOX 2. "I saw the top fly off and the jet was gone and he was starting to come down and I went 'I think his jet just crashed.
Heather Fitzgerald saw the pilot eject from the plane before it crashed.
‘Possible exposure to hazardous chemicals’
What they're saying:
Munson Medical Center confirmed to FOX 2 that it treated 34 patients for potential hydrazine exposure after the crash Thursday, the majority of which were first responders. Six people were admitted.
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office said "several first responders were evaluated at a local hospital for possible exposure to hazardous chemicals."
The hospital asked anyone experiencing symptoms such as coughing or trouble breathing should seek medical evaluation.
The Source: Previous reporting and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff were cited for this story.