At approximately 1600 on Sunday, August 13, 2023, a retired
Russian MiG-23 Fighter Jet, participating in the Thunder Over Michigan Air
Show, suffered engine trouble which resulted in the pilot ejecting and the jet
crashing approximately 25 feet away from an apartment complex. Approximately
970 gallons of jet fuel were on board the jet at the time of the crash. Much of
the fuel was consumed in a subsequent fire; however, some of the fuel
reportedly made its way to Willow Run Creek. The resulting fire was
extinguished using PFOS-containing AFFF firefighting foam. The two pilots from
the jet only suffered minor injuries following their ejection and landing in a
nearby lake. The apartment complex near where the jet crash has been evacuated
and the residents have been temporarily relocated. The fire has been
extinguished and the FBI and FAA are on scene investigating the crash.
Western Wayne HazMat has requested an EPA OSC to
provide technical assistance and potential funding of oil spill cleanup for the
jet fuel that made its way to the Willow Run Creek. EPA OSC Tricia Edwards
arrived on-scene and has not observed oil sheen on the creek but stated a jet
fuel odor can be observed in the grassy area surrounding the crash site. The
crash site has been secured by the FBI and FAA for their investigation, so
limited oil spill response can occur until evidence collection has finished.
