Navy Jets Collide at Idaho Air Show, Crew Members Eject Safely

In Boise, Idaho, two U.S. Navy jets collided during an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base. The incident involved EA-18G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based in Whidbey Island, Washington. Cmdr. Amelia Umayam of the Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, confirmed the collision.

The jets were performing an aerial demonstration when they collided. All four crew members ejected safely, and the incident is under investigation. Base officials reported the crew members were in stable condition, and no one on the base was injured. Kim Sykes, marketing director for Silver Wings of Idaho, emphasized safety as the priority.

Following the crash, the base was immediately locked down, and the rest of the air show was canceled. Spectators filmed the event, capturing the moment the crew members ejected and their parachutes opened as the planes crashed into a fireball.

The Growler jets are advanced variants of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare systems, each costing approximately $67 million.

“They struck each other in a very unique fashion,” aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said, suggesting this may have prevented a more severe outcome.

Midair collisions usually don’t allow time for crews to eject, but the planes’ entanglement may have been a lifesaving aspect. Aviation experts noted the small margin of error in air show maneuvers, stressing the skill required for such performances.

The Gunfighter Skies event at the base was held for the first time since 2018. The air show industry has strived to enhance safety. Since 2017, the number of deaths at air shows has averaged 1.1 per year, showing improvement in safety measures.

Investigators will seek to understand the cause of the crash, aided by the accounts of the surviving crew members. Due to the naval nature of the investigation, less information will be available publicly compared to civilian crashes.