A viral video showed two pilots ejecting from their MiG-23 fighter jet on Sunday before it crashed during an air show in Michigan.
The crash took place during the Thunder Over Michigan show, which featured a variety of aircraft doing all sorts of maneuvers as spectators looked on. Take a look:
🚨 #BREAKING: A MiG-23 jet has just crashed in Michigan. Pilots ejected, but further injuries are unknown. pic.twitter.com/UiOiJaB59m
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 13, 2023
The pilots appeared to escape alive and the jet crashed into two unoccupied vehicles in a parking lot. Per the Detroit News:
Two pilots ejected from the MiG-23UB fighter plane in mid-air at Willow Run Airport at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday and were rescued from Belleville Lake, the Wayne County Airport Authority said. The jet crashed into unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot of the Waverly on the Lake Apartments in Van Buren Township. There were no injuries, the airport authority said.
The pilot and backseater ejected successfully from the aircraft before the crash, the airport authority said. “While it did not appear they sustained any significant injuries, first responders transported the pair to a nearby hospital as a precaution.”
They were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Superior Township.
Marsha Bogardus had been watching the show with her kids before the crash, telling reporters that the pilots ejecting was preceded by “huge booms.”
“We heard these huge booms,” Bogardus said. “I started recording and saw the two pilots eject. It scared my kids and everyone was freaking out. It dropped like a bullet straight down near an apartment complex we live by. Not sure where it landed.”
Per the Detroit News:
Mark McCulloch said he experienced something similar. “A guy was pointing and said, ‘Oh my God,’ which caused me to turn. I had my Nikon D-800 with a 600 mm lens (and) that’s what I saw. … There was no loud noises or indication that I witnessed,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) said she has been in touch with authorities following the crash.
“It appears at this time that both pilots are safe, and there has been no human injury,” Dingell said in a press release. “Completing comprehensive physical assessments to ensure everyone’s safety is top priority right now.”
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
