VIDEO: MiG-23 Pilots Safely Eject Mid-Air, Jet Explodes at Michigan Air Show
Explosive Crash at Michigan Air Show
In a heart-stopping incident at the Yankee Air Museum’s Thunder Over Michigan air show, two pilots narrowly escaped disaster when they ejected from a MiG-23 jet just moments before it exploded mid-air and crashed into parked vehicles at a nearby apartment complex.
The Wayne County Airport Authority confirmed that the pilots successfully ejected from the aircraft and were transported to a nearby hospital for precautionary measures. Miraculously, no significant injuries were reported.
NOW – MiG-23 aircraft crashes during an air show in Michigan.pic.twitter.com/UVPGNh0viZ
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Authorities confirmed that the crash occurred in the parking lot of the Waverly on the Lake Apartments in Belleville, Michigan. Thankfully, no one at the apartment complex or the air show suffered any significant injuries.
Emergency crews swiftly rescued the pilots from Belleville Lake, with one pilot landing in the lake and the other in a tree. Although both pilots were injured, they are expected to recover.
Kevin McNamara, Van Buren Township supervisor, expressed his relief, stating, “It’s a miracle. We’re a subdivision community, and it landed next to a lake. There are not very many empty properties next to lakes. This happens to be one of the rare properties there are.”
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations to determine the factors leading to the incident.
The Thunder Over Michigan air show, which showcases a variety of modern and vintage military planes, was halted following the crash. Attendees were instructed to leave the airfield calmly and safely.
Awe-Inspiring Experience
The president and CEO of the Yankee Air Museum, Kevin Walsh, expressed his hope that the air show would inspire people. He emphasized the incredible experience of witnessing these planes in action, saying, “Everyone that flies one of these planes went to an airshow as a kid, and it’s sensational. How they feel, how they fly, how they smell and how they sound, it’s all about the experience.”
Witnesses, like Mark McCulloch, were left in shock by the malfunctioning jet. McCulloch, who captured the incident on his camera, described the moment, saying, “Two engines blew out, you could see that, but I couldn’t hear it because the guy on the PA was talking next to us.”
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