Michigan F-16 Crash Triggers 1-Mile Evacuation Over Toxic Chemical Spill
Updated
Updated · Detroit News · Sep 17
Michigan F-16 Crash Triggers 1-Mile Evacuation Over Toxic Chemical Spill
3 articles · Updated · Detroit News · Sep 17
Summary
A 1-mile evacuation zone was ordered around the Blair Township crash site after authorities said the downed Texas Air National Guard F-16 released hazardous chemicals that could produce toxic vapors or seep into the area.
The order followed a shelter-in-place directive along County Road 633 that was later lifted; residents and businesses were then told to leave, and a shelter opened at Kensington Church in Traverse City.
The pilot, who was flying a routine training mission with the 149th Fighter Wing, was hospitalized in stable condition after the Thursday crash in Grand Traverse County.
Officials have not identified the chemical involved, but F-16s can carry jet fuel, hydraulic fluid, ethylene glycol and hydrazine, an emergency-power fuel the Air Force classifies as highly toxic, flammable and corrosive.