F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in Rural Michigan During Training; Pilot Ejects Safely

An F-16 fighter jet crashed in a rural area of northern Michigan on Thursday during a routine training exercise, but the pilot managed to eject safely, a military spokesman said.

Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said the pilot was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. He declined to release the pilot's identity or details about any injuries, citing military policy.

The aircraft, which belongs to the Texas-based unit, was taking part in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, located roughly 190 miles (305 kilometers) north of Detroit.

Witnesses in the area reported hearing a loud crash, and images circulating on social media showed a dark plume of smoke rising into the air near Traverse City.

Wendy Sobeck, who lives in the rural area minutes from the crash site, said she and her husband heard a "very loud crash" down the road.

"We thought there was a car accident outside our house. We saw big billowing black smoke. We couldn't tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened," Sobeck said. "You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening."

Video footage captured by Fred and Wendy Sobeck showed smoke billowing from the scene of the crash.