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 jet crashed at the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show after its pilot and backseater ejected due to an in-flight issue.
Both occupants were recovered safely with no significant injuries, and there were no ground injuries or damage to a nearby apartment building, though a few unoccupied cars were damaged.
The accident, which occurred in a parking lot in Belleville, Michigan, led to the cancellation of the remainder of the air show and is currently under investigation by the FAA and NTSB.

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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.