Plane crashes at Thunder Over Michigan air show; 2 people parachute from jet

Jet crashes after two pilots eject during Michigan air show

A small jet crashed at the Thunder Over Michigan air show Sunday after both occupants ejected, officials said. The two people in the plane did not appear to be seriously injured.

Two occupants parachuted from the MiG-23 fighter jet south of Willow Run Airport and landed in Belleville Lake, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The plane's occupants were being treated at a local hospital for minor injuries, Van Buren Township supervisor Kevin McNamara said.

The aircraft crashed into the parking lot of an apartment building in Belleville, striking unoccupied vehicles, the Wayne County Airport Authority said. 

"The pilot and backseater successfully ejected from the aircraft before the crash," the authority said. "While it did not appear they sustained any significant injuries, first responders transported the pair to a nearby hospital as a precaution."

Nobody on the ground was injured, McNamara said.

Thunder Over Michigan, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary, said on Facebook that the show had to be stopped because of the crash. 

Smoke and fire are seen after a plane crashed at the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show on Aug. 13, 2023. Daniel Maier/Twitter

Videos showed flame and smoke billowing into the sky. Some videos also showed what appears to be the pilot and another individual parachuting out of the plane.

The cause of the ejections and crash was not immediately clear. 

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