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Last night at approximately 8 p.m. an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

According to the 115th Fighter Wing’s Facebook page, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board.

The crash site, located in Delta County, Michigan was initially secured by local emergency responders, and later joined by military personnel and safety and security personnel from the 115th Fighter Wing.

Search and rescue efforts on the ground, in the air, and in the water were undertaken, with the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agencies participating.

Col. Bart Van Roo, 115th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement, “We are a close knit family and when an incident like this occurs, every member in our organization feels it. The safety of our pilot along with search and rescue efforts are our top priority, and we will continue to pray for the pilot’s safe return.”

The United States Air Force (USAF), four of its NATO partners, and Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally, are the primary operators of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The Air Force operates 1,245 F-16s including 701 with active forces, 490 with the Air National Guard and 54 with the Reserve.

Delivery of the F-16 to the Air Nation Guard turned the ANG into a viable fighting force complementary to active-duty units and the F-16 remains a key part of its force structure.

The F-16 has been around for more than 40 years, with the first delivery to Hill Air Force Base in Utah in January 1979. Each plane costs about $20 million, according to manufacturer Lockheed-Martin, with a top speed of 1500 miles an hour.

Tuesday’s incident remains under investigation. Poor cell phone connectivity in the very rural area is hindering communication efforts.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers released a statement saying, “I was devastated to learn last night that a member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard was involved in an F-16 crash in the Upper Peninsula. As search and rescue operations continue, Kathy and I are hoping and praying for the pilot’s safe return. Our hearts go out to pilot’s family as well as the members of the 115th Fighter Wing as they continue working to bring the pilot home.”

Amen.