VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — We’re learning more about the pilot who was forced to parachute from a Russian military plane along with another person during an air show in the Ypsilanti area that went terribly wrong over the weekend.
The incident happened Sunday during the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show at the Yankee Air Museum. Crews continued to clean the area Monday. Video of the crash has gone viral.
Daniel Filer, the pilot who ejected before the crash, told 7 Action News he is still being treated at Trinity Health hospital.
We now know he’s got a military background and owns several Russian planes. Filer is a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who collects Soviet-made fighter jets.
The two occupants were in a Russian MiG-28 that the National Transportation Safety Board says dates back to 1981. The plane is marked with a red star of the Soviet Union, which is a far cry from Filer’s day job of flying commercial planes, based on an interview given to TV station KTBS one year ago.
A day after the air show incident, Filer told us by phone that he’s grateful to all who’ve expressed concern.
Filer, who lives in East Texas, has flown for decades and often appears at air shows. By phone, he said he hopes to recover quickly.
“I’m really hoping to get discharged today,” he said.
The NTSB verified the pilot has serious injuries but not life threatening. The other occupant suffered minor injuries.
“I’m glad that nobody got hurt. It was the first thing we asked, and we’re so happy about that,” Filer said.
While the cause of the crash is still unknown.
The NTSB plans to issue another update on their investigation within 10 days. The Environmental Protection Agency is also addressing the environmental concerns based on the explosion and fuel, which caught fire.
