Washington, Sept. 18 (SANA) A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed during a routine training mission in rural Michigan on Thursday, with the pilot ejecting and surviving, the U.S. military said.
The pilot was taken to a local hospital for treatment, The Associated Press reported, citing Staff Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing. The pilot’s identity and condition were not disclosed.
The aircraft had flown from Texas and was taking part in training at a National Guard facility in Alpena, about 305 kilometers north of Detroit, Gutierrez said.
It was among a group of F-16s from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and an investigation was underway.
The U.S. military has operated the F-16 since 1979. The U.S. Air Force Safety Center has recorded at least 14 Class A mishaps involving the aircraft since 2000. Class A mishaps include incidents involving loss of life, destruction of an aircraft or damage above a specified financial threshold.
In December, a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed in the Southern California desert. The pilot ejected and survived.
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