2 Pilots Eject from MiG-23 During Incident at Thunder Over Michigan

The vintage jet, which was performing the air show finale, went down in an apartment building parking lot.

Monday, August 14, 2023 at 12:51 PM ET

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The MiG-23, seen here taking off in Lakeland, Florida in April 2023, crashed while performing the air show finale. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A MiG-23 performing at the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show developed an issue, leading its pilot and backseater to safely eject.
Both occupants were recovered and transported to a local hospital as a precaution, reportedly without significant injuries.
The jet crashed in a parking lot, damaging some unoccupied cars but causing no injuries on the ground or damage to nearby buildings.
The air show was subsequently canceled, and the FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident.

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Fans at the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show in Ypsilanti got more than they bargained for Sunday when the MiG-23 that was performing around 4 p.m. EDT developed some sort of issue that caused the pilot and backseater to eject.

Video of the event shows the jet at low altitude entering a left bank when the occupants of the aircraft ejected. Some witnesses stated they saw fire coming from the jet.