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A plane burst into a ball of fire after crash landing in a field in Michigan, as the pilot was rushed to hospital and local residents were evacuated from the area.
asserted
residents → see → area
An F-16 plane came down on Thursday during training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, around 190 miles from Detroit, injuring the pilot and sending plumes of smoke into the air.
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plane → come → air
The pilot was conscious and talking to law enforcement while receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea and Sergeant Derek Gutierrez of the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, said.
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Shea → talk → Lackland
Gutierrez declined to reveal information on the identity of the pilot, citing military policy.
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Gutierrez → decline → policy
The jet was one of several F-16 aircraft from the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, taking part in the Michigan training exercises, he added.
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he → take → exercises
Another pilot told air traffic controllers that he believes that his wingman had hit a bird and crashed, audio footage from LiveATC showed.
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footage → tell → LiveATC
'We have a possible Mayday.
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We → have → Mayday
My wingman I believe may have taken a bird,' the pilot said.
uncertain
pilot → believe → bird
The controller offered to direct him to a nearby airport in Frankfort or Traverse City, but the pilot said his wingman had already crashed.
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wingman → offer → Frankfort
The pilot safely ejected before the fighter jet hit the ground.
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jet → eject → ground
An F-16 plane (pictured in a stock image) came down on Thursday during training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena injuring the pilot and sending smoke in the air
The pilot ejected and was conscious and talking to law enforcement while receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
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pilot → picture → hospital
Another pilot told air traffic controllers that he believes that his wingman had hit a bird and crashed
Gutierrez said he was not made aware of a possible bird strike, but added that the crash remains under investigation.
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crash → tell → investigation
'Once we get some more information and it’s approved, we can release it to you,' he said.
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he → get → you
Nathan Smith, a nearby construction worker, said he began to record the jet as it passed him.
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it → say → him
'It was strange to see a jet flying that low and slow,' Smith said.
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Smith → see → ?
'A few seconds after the video cuts, I heard a loud bang, which I believe now to be the pilot ejecting, but I didn’t think of that at the time.'
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I → hear → time
The crash prompted an evacuation of nearby residents, as Michigan State Police said on X that 'due to a hazardous chemical spill' related to the plane crash 'all business and residential properties within a one-mile radius of County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road are being evacuated.'
Nearby residents were directed to shelter in place before state police evacuated locals.
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police → prompt → locals
The nature of the spill remains unclear, but F-16 jets use hydrazine, a toxic chemical, as a component of emergency power unit fuel.
uncertain
jets → remain → fuel
Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a 'very loud crash' just minutes from their home.
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she → say → home
'We thought there was a car accident outside our house.
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We → think → house
We saw big billowing black smoke.
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We → see → smoke
We couldn’t tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened,' Sobeck said.
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Sobeck → tell → truck
Michigan State Police said that 'due to a hazardous chemical spill' related to the plane crash all business and residential properties within a one-mile radius...are being evacuated'
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properties → say → radius
'You could see the plane debris in the field.
uncertain
You → see → field
Explosions kept happening.'
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Explosions → keep → ?
Fred Sobeck, 65, said he drove down the road and saw a 'big fireball in the field' near a house and a camper, which were not hit.
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which → say → house
'Police told me to get out of there because of explosions,' he said.
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he → tell → explosions
Shellie Doornbos and her husband told CNN that she and her husband were driving home when they saw the plane on fire.
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plane → tell → fire
'We could hear explosions coming from the fire and asked a police officer what it was we were hearing as we were driving away, and he told us it was a fighter jet crash and the explosions were ammunition,' she said.
uncertain
she → hear → us
Police lifted the evacuation order just before 10pm.
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Police → lift → pm
The Daily Mail reached out to the Alpena National Guard base and Michigan State Police for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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