SWANTON, Ohio — An F-16 fighter jet with the 180th Fighter Wing discarded two fuel tanks during an in-flight emergency Wednesday afternoon in northern Michigan, according to a press release from the Swanton military base.
No civilians or flight crew were injured in the incident, which was caused by an external fuel tank malfunction during a routine training mission over Lake Huron.
One of the jet's two tanks was manually jettisoned at about 1:30 p.m. and "landed without incident in Tawas Bay," about 13 miles south of the city of Oscoda, the Fighter Wing said.
The second tank "came apart, midair causing pieces of the tank to land in the parking area of a local Tawas, Mich. business." The Fighter Wing did not say if the pieces caused any damage to the parking area.
Both tanks have been recovered, the jet landed safely at the base in Swanton at 2:10 p.m. and there are no immediate safety concerns to those in the area, the Fighter Wing said.
The Fighter Wing said in a press release update on Thursday "Immediately following the incident, a team from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, including Fire & Emergency Services, Civil Engineers and Bioenvironmental Airmen, deployed to the shopping center to assist Tawas-area law enforcement and emergency crews in securing the site, evaluating damage, and minimize the impact of the fuel spill."
Cleanup began Wednesday night as environmental remediation specialists and fire and hazmat teams from the Tawas area reinforced areas around storm drains, installed drain covers and placed absorbent materials in affected areas. Crews also worked to contain fuel that had gotten into a retention pond and prevent it from entering stormwater drains.
"The 180FW is working to secure a long-term remediation and restoration contract to continue non-emergency environmental clean-up efforts," according to the Fighter Wing.
"Residents and area businesses that suffered building and/or property damage can file an official claim through the 88th Air Base Wing, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Information and the forms needed to begin a claim can be located on the home page of the 180FW public website: www.180fw.ang.af.mil or those wishing to file a claim can call the 88th ABW at (937) 257-6142," the Fighter Wing added.
The in-flight emergency is under investigation.
An F-16 aircraft also experienced an in-flight emergency in March while landing at the base at the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport. The pilot exited the aircraft safely.
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