Pilot, crew member safely eject before Soviet-era fighter jet crashes at Michigan air show

Belleville, August 14

A pilot and crew member escaped serious injury when they ejected from a vintage jet that crashed during a Michigan air show Sunday, officials said.

The MiG-23 demonstration plane crashed during the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show shortly after 4 pm, the Wayne County Airport Authority said in a statement.

The Soviet fighter plane crashed into a parking lot and struck unoccupied vehicles at a nearby apartment complex in Belleville, about 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) west of Detroit.

No injuries were reported on the ground at the apartments or the air show hosted by the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville.

The pilot and “backseater” crew member did not appear to have significant injuries but were transported to an area hospital, the authority said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the agency will investigate with the National Transportation Safety Board.