Investigation into Michigan air show plane crash could take up to two years to complete
The jet crashed near an apartment complex in Van Buren Township.
Pilots eject from a plane before it crashes in Van Buren Township, Mich. on Aug. 13, 2023.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of a jet during an airshow in Michigan over the weekend.
The crash happened Sunday during the finale of the Thunder Over Michigan airshow at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. The pilot owned the Russian-made MiG23 fighter he was flying when he apparently lost power and ejected from the plane.
“It had made one pass and was circling around to make another pass — there were going to be three passes total — when they were circling around for the second pass…they experienced the difficulties,” NTSB investigator John Brannen says.
The jet crashed near an apartment complex in Van Buren Township. Brannen shares crashes like these don’t often happen without casualties.
“In this case we have a fairly large airplane, and the fact that both pilots survived and there were no ground injuries is a very good outcome,” Brannen says. “The pilot has serious but non-life-threatening injuries [and] the observer had minor injuries.”
The full investigation report could take up to two years to complete according to the NTSB.
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