Michigan: (RightNow) An F-16 fighter jet of the US Air Force crashed during a training mission in Michigan. However, the pilot ejected in time and survived.

The aircraft was associated with the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. It was on a routine training flight from the National Guard base in Alpena, Michigan.

The crash occurred in a rural area of Grand Traverse County, where witnesses saw flames and smoke rising from a field after the jet went down.

The pilot was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. No other injuries have been reported.

It is noteworthy that thousands of aircraft in the US collide with birds or animals annually. The exact cause of the crash is unknown, and the US military has launched an investigation.