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Texas Air Guard F-16 crash in Michigan sends pilot stable

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Texas F16 Pilot Ejection

Texas Air Guard pilot ejected from an F-16 before it crashed in Michigan.
The crash occurred 2 p.m. on September 17, 2026 in Grand Traverse County.
The pilot was taken to Munson Medical Center in stable condition.
Jet was from 149th Fighter Wing, Lone Star Gunfighters, on a sortie from Alpena’s Combat Readiness Training Center.
State police evacuated a one-mile radius after a possible bird strike and engine loss caused a hydrazine spill.

Summary

Technicians Hydrazine Exposure

A 2011 Israeli hangar accident released hydrazine vapor, briefly exposing four technicians.
One technician was hospitalized and showed muscle damage and elevated liver enzymes before returning.
A 2003 Massachusetts freight facility spill released about five gallons of anhydrous hydrazine, exposing four workers.
Two workers suffered respiratory inflammation and were treated after decontamination.
The CDC warns hydrazine can damage nervous and respiratory systems, potentially causing kidney failure or coma.

History

Historical Context

OSHA first limited occupational hydrazine exposure in 1975, setting a 0.02 ppm standard that sits below the agency’s current 1 ppm permissible limit. After the 2003 Massachusetts depot added containment, spills fell 40 % over five years. The September 17 2026 crash of a 149th Fighter Wing F-16 near Alpena released hydrazine, prompting CDC and state health officials to respond.

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Texas F16 Pilot Ejection

Texas Air Guard pilot ejected from an F-16 before it crashed in Michigan.
The crash occurred 2 p.m. on September 17, 2026 in Grand Traverse County.
The pilot was taken to Munson Medical Center in stable condition.
Jet was from 149th Fighter Wing, Lone Star Gunfighters, on a sortie from Alpena’s Combat Readiness Training Center.
State police evacuated a one-mile radius after a possible bird strike and engine loss caused a hydrazine spill.

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