Soviet-Era MiG 23 Fighter Jet Crashes At Michigan Air Show, Hits Apartment Building Complex

A privately owned Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (NATO reporting name: “Flogger”) third-generation jet fighter crashed on Sunday afternoon at Thunder Over Michigan Air Show at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan. 

Video of the crash shows the Soviet aircraft, built between 1967-85, experiencing what appears to be a loss of lift during a steep left turn, a turn that involves a bank of more than 30 degrees. 

The pilots of the MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG-23UB (N23UB) have both ejected this afternoon during the Thunder Over Michigan Airshow pic.twitter.com/j2sLp7DLmT

— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 13, 2023

The steep turn was conducted at a low altitude, which means there is very little margin for error. To maintain altitude, the pilot must pitch up and increase power. Instead, the video shows the pilots ejecting from the aircraft, which only suggests a mechanical failure occurred.

More video pic.twitter.com/iLF7wJVZbZ

— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 13, 2023

Wayne County Airport Authority released the following statement:

“Shortly after 4:00 p.m. Sunday, a MiG-23 demonstration plane performing at the Yankee Air Museum’s Thunder over Michigan air show crashed into the parking lot at the Waverly on the Lake Apartments in Belleville. The pilot and backseater successfully ejected from the aircraft before the crash. While it did not appear they sustained any significant injuries, first responders transported the pair to a nearby hospital as a precaution.The aircraft struck unoccupied vehicles in the apartment complex’s parking lot. No one at the apartment complex nor the air show was injured. The FAA is investigating the crash.”

Closer view of the crashed MiG-23 fighter jet in Belleville, Michigan, whose pilot and backseater ejected prior to the aircraft’s crash at The Waverly on the Lake apartment complex this afternoon. No injuries have been reported from the incident pic.twitter.com/xmWxIMmGkT

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 14, 2023

Still, there’s no official reason why pilots resorted to ejecting.