The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported that both passengers on a MiG-23 jet that crashed at the Thunder Over Michigan air show on Sunday are in stable condition. The crash occurred just feet away from the Waverly on the Lake apartment complex in Belleville.
Witnesses at the scene described their shock and concern after witnessing the crash. One tenant, Jayse Benson, heard the jet and saw it go down from his balcony. He stated that after hearing two pops, which were later revealed to be the pilots ejecting, he observed the plane flying low and then saw a large mushroom cloud. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among the residents of the apartment complex or those attending the air show.
John Brannon, a Senior Air Safety Inspector for the NTSB, commented on the outcome of the crash, emphasizing the positive fact that both pilots survived and there were no ground injuries. He noted that the investigation into the aircraft is ongoing and it may take several months to ascertain the concrete facts surrounding the crash.
Brannon stated that the jet was on its second of three passes around the airport as part of the air show before the crash occurred. The NTSB is arranging for a recovery crew to collect the airplane for further examination off-site. Currently, all available information is considered preliminary, and it will take time to draw any conclusions or delve further into the investigation.