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DETROIT — <\/span>An F-16 fighter jet from Texas crashed in rural Michigan during a routine training exercise on Thursday, and the pilot ejected safely, a military spokesman said.<\/p>\n Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said the pilot was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. Gutierrez declined to release details about the pilot\u2019s identity or any injuries, citing military policy.<\/p>\n The plane was participating in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, about 190 miles (305 kilometers) north of Detroit.<\/p>\n Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash, and images posted to social media showed a dark plume of smoke in the air.<\/p>\n Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a \u201cvery loud crash\u201d down the road, minutes from their rural home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought there was a car accident outside our house. We saw big billowing black smoke. We couldn\u2019t tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened,\u201d Sobeck said. \u201cYou could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n