Pilot says rear-seat observer caused Thunder Over Michigan crash, NTSB report shows

By Max Reinhart, MediaNews Group

Municipality of Van Buren − The pilot of a MiG jet crashed throughout a 2023 look on the Thunder Over Michigan air present, he blamed his backseat observer for the accident, although investigators concluded the observer had little selection however to eject the boys from the stalling airplane when he did so, a brand new report exhibits.

The Nationwide Transportation Security Board’s closing report on the reason for the Aug. 13, 2023, crash in Van Buren Township indicated that if backseat observer Mark Ruff had later pulled the ejection lever of the Soviet-era MiG-23UB fighter jet, each males might have been extra significantly injured or killed.

Extra: NTSB details what led to the Thunder Over Michigan plane crash

Extra: Were the MiG pilots right to fly out of the sky before Thunder Over Michigan crashed? Experts weigh in

Pilot Daniel Filer adamantly claimed that he might have landed the airplane safely in a subject close to Willow Run Airport close to Ypsilanti, the place the air present was happening, and that Ruff’s actions endangered lives.

“Engine issues have occurred prior to now and can proceed to occur sooner or later. Solely a really small share end in a crash,” Filer wrote in a prolonged report within the docket accompanying the NTSB closing report. “This lack of plane and potential lack of life was the results of the backseater ejecting each crew members from the cockpit.”

Based on NTSB documentation, the then 41-year-old Ruff had been flying with the then 62-year-old Filer in Filer’s MiG-23 since 2021 and had been within the plane for about 15 hours earlier than the crash. The duo had carried out collectively in a number of air exhibits with out incident. However the report makes clear that the 2 pilots had disagreements even earlier than the crash.

Extra: From Earhart to Selfridge: A Collection of Michigan Air Show Accidents Since 1930

In the course of the Thunder Over Michigan occasion, the MiG made one profitable cross for spectators when Filer observed the airplane was flying slower than anticipated, the report mentioned. The boys have been getting ready to make a second cross when the plane’s afterburner failed to have interaction and each males acknowledged that they have been in an emergency scenario.

Filer started to maneuver his airplane again towards the airport, away from spectators and the general public, and noticed a subject wherein he thought he might land the airplane although it was dropping altitude, the NTSB report mentioned. With the airplane 300 ft above the bottom, Ruff instructed Filer, “Now we have to get out of the airplane.” Filer mentioned “No,” however Ruff pulled the ejection lever, violently propelling each males into the air.

The airplane fell to earth, crashed by way of timber and crashed into automobiles earlier than coming to relaxation close to an condominium advanced. Officers reported nobody was injured on the bottom.

Filer and Ruff’s parachutes deployed and so they landed in a close-by lake. Each suffered severe however non-life-threatening accidents.

Views for dueling flights

Filer argued that his accomplice acted too unexpectedly and mentioned he was nonetheless making an attempt to resolve the engine drawback when he was ejected. He estimated that inside three to 5 seconds he might have restored engine energy and landed the airplane safely in a subject about 2,000 ft from the precise crash website.

Nevertheless, Ruff claimed he didn’t consider they may attain a secure touchdown space as a result of their altitude was dropping and the plane was “out and in of a stall buffet,” which is often accompanied by shaking or shaking, indicating the craft is approaching an aerodynamic stall, or a lack of airflow over the wings.

Filer disputed that declare, writing in his report that “at no time throughout this flight did the plane… slam, shake, or strategy a stall.”

Based on the ultimate report, investigators couldn’t decide whether or not Filer’s subject touchdown would have been profitable.

The NTSB reported that the company was not conscious of any entity within the U.S. that had the information and gear to totally study the Tumansky R27F2M-300 engine of the destroyed Russian-built plane.

Investigators contacted a 3rd pilot, recognized in paperwork as Jim Brown, who had flown Filer in his MiG-23 throughout a take a look at flight in 2018, throughout which an identical energy loss drawback occurred. They requested for his opinion on the Thunder Over Michigan incident.

“He said that he had seen movies of the ejection and that he believed the crew was ejected from the plane on the final potential second,” the report mentioned.

The third pilot instructed investigators that “in his opinion, if this had been an ejection of the army crew, the timing of the ejection wouldn’t be in query” and that “he doubted (Filer’s) intent that touchdown the plane in a subject on the sting of the airport would have been a survivable state of affairs.”

Filer, a former Navy pilot, wrote that conflict rationales shouldn’t be utilized to civilian air exhibits.

“We’re civilian pilots flying an plane that’s now for civilian use in civilian airspace, not in an MOA (army working space) or over the open ocean or in a fight scenario,” he wrote. “The handbook was written by the producer for the plane designed to be used in wartime or in a wartime coaching surroundings with out regard to public security on the bottom within the occasion of an ejection.”

The report known as the possible reason behind the crash “a reported partial lack of engine energy whereas maneuvering for causes that might not be decided.” Investigators concluded that primarily based on the velocity of ascent and descent, Ruff had little selection however to tug the ejection lever.

“The timing of the crew ejection was not untimely,” the report mentioned. “Given the intense accidents suffered by each occupants, ejecting the crew at the next altitude might have lowered the severity of their accidents. Had the crew ejection been additional delayed, the occupants’ accidents might have been extra extreme.”

The Detroit Information known as a number of telephone numbers for each Filer and Ruff for additional remark, however they didn’t instantly return requires remark.

‘Betrayal and disgust’

Tensions between the 2 pilots had apparently been simmering earlier than the ill-fated Thunder Over Michigan flight. Filer wrote that Ruff had proven two earlier air exhibits simply minutes earlier than the pair have been to take off in his MiG-23. Filer mentioned he was getting ready to make these flights alone or with one other pilot when Ruff lastly arrived.

When Ruff arrived, “he went to shake my hand, I circled in disgust and instructed him to tie himself up. He checked out me and mentioned, ‘At some point we will have to speak in regards to the little issues I do this upset you,'” Filer wrote. “In my view, exhibiting up late for a Mig-23 demo flight is not any small factor.”

Filer wrote that Ruff had turn into a invaluable member of his crew, had developed “good steering and throttle pilot abilities” and was very educated about flight guidelines and rules. Nevertheless, his “lack of preparation for flights” involved Filer.

“There may be a lot extra preparation required when flying any such plane. His preoccupation with getting the appropriate shot, hooking up video gear or ensuring his Margarita Machine will get onto my upkeep help trailer had turn into a priority,” Filer wrote, noting that even after many flights collectively, Ruff was nonetheless unable to make some “minor” preparations, corresponding to checking tire stress or sustaining the nitrogen system of the MiG.

After the boys have been pulled from a lake after the crash, Filer’s considerations turned to contempt, he wrote in his report accompanying the NTSB’s closing report.

In the course of the ambulance trip to the hospital, Filer mentioned Ruff instructed him, “Now we have an amazing story to inform, we simply have to determine methods to inform it.” Filer mentioned the remark evoked emotions of “betrayal and disgust” in him.

“We nonetheless did not know if there had been any accidents or fatalities, and now he was nervous about how he was going to inform his story,” Filer wrote.

Filer initially believed the engine drawback that led to the crash stemmed from the airplane’s flight management unit, which had been changed a while earlier than the 2023 Thunder Over Michigan occasion. However after enthusiastic about it, he wrote that he believed the accident was brought on by a malfunction within the jet nozzle valve management system.

Though investigators mentioned the ejection was “not untimely,” Filer claimed Ruff was not able to evaluate their distance from a secure touchdown space.

“The outward visibility and seating place within the rear cockpit of the MiG-23 are among the many worst in aviation historical past,” Filer wrote.

Ruff has maintained that because the airplane shuddered and dropped in altitude, he decided that saved the lives of each pilots.

“You are simply conscious that issues in your peripheral imaginative and prescient are getting greater… after which I mentioned, ‘Ejection, ejection, ejection!'” Ruff mentioned on the YouTube FlyWire sequence, hosted by former Air Pressure teacher and industrial pilot Scott Perdue.

Present officers mentioned the 2023 crash was the one incident within the occasion’s 26-year historical past.

Filer, who has logged greater than 20,000 flight hours in a profession spanning greater than 4 many years, wrote that whereas Ruff’s determination might have saved his life, it endangered others.

“Public security was nonetheless my first precedence, however as quickly as Mark activated his ejection lever with out discover, he put his personal security above the general public and me,” Filer wrote.

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

@max_detroitnieuws

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Initially revealed: October 20, 2025 at 9:46 AM EDT