Crews Eject After Jets Collide During Airshow

All four crewmembers of two U.S. Navy jets were able to safely eject after their aircraft collided Sunday during an airshow performance in western Idaho. The collision, ejection, and subsequent crash of the interlocked aircraft were caught on video.

The midair happened at about 12:10 p.m. MDT while the aircraft were performing an aerial demonstration during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show hosted by Mountain Home Air Force Base (KMUO), southeast of Boise.

The airshow was the first one held at the base since 2018.

The aircraft were two EA-18G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 located at Whidbey Island, Washington. The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite.

According to a statement from the 366th Fighter Wing, the aircraft crashed on Grand View Highway in Elmore County. The road was closed due to the crash and will remain closed during the investigation. 

“First and foremost, we are incredibly thankful that everyone involved in today’s incident is safe,” said Col. David Gunter, 366th Fighter Wing commander. “The extraordinary professionalism of our emergency response teams, including the city and county, allowed for quick response to the aircrew as well as securing the scene to ensure the safety of our guests, performers, and community. And to all of our guests here today, I can’t tell you how much we appreciated your patience, trust, and support.” 

The Gunfighter Skies Air Show, free to the public, was scheduled for May 16-17 and combined vintage military aircraft with modern designs. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team was scheduled to perform both days.

The rest of the show was canceled after the accident.

What the Video Shows

The video shows the jets flying in the direction of the camera, with one above and behind the other, then colliding. The aircraft appear to be stuck together, both pitching nose up and hovering in the sky for a moment as the crews eject and the parachutes appear. The aircraft, still connected, yaw and begin tumbling, exploding in flames when they hit the ground. The fire sent up a thick column of black smoke.

“All four of the air crew successfully ejected,” Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for the Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a statement.

All four were evaluated on scene by medical professionals and were reported to be in stable condition.

No injuries were reported among the spectators. The base was briefly locked down following the crash.

The accident marks the second time in two years that Growler jets from Whidbey Naval Air Station have crashed in non-combat flight. In October 2024 two crewmembers died during a training mission near Mount Rainier in Washington.

According to the Idaho Statesman, this accident was not the first crash during an airshow at the base. In 2003 during a performance an Air Force pilot ejected before his F-16 crashed, and in 2018 wheelchair-bound aviator and aerobatic hang glider pilot Dan Buchanan was killed in a crash during a performance.

The incident is under investigation.