Two US Navy Jets Collide Mid-Air at Idaho Air Show, Crew Ejects Safely
Quick Look
- Two US Navy E/A-18G Growler jets collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
- All four crew members ejected safely.
- The incident is under investigation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Two US Navy E/A-18G Growler jets collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. All four crew members ejected safely. The incident is under investigation. The airbase was locked down after the crash. The jets involved were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington.
Four crew members involved in a mid-air collision of military jets at an air show ejected safely on Sunday outside Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, the US Navy said.
Two E/A-18G Growler jets collided in mid-air two miles from the base during the two-day Gunfighter Skies Air Show, said Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokeswoman for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet.
The two jets with four crew collided “while performing an aerial demonstration” as part of the air show, Umayam said, noting that all four crew members ejected safely.
“The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” Umayam said.
The airbase was locked down after the crash, according to Mountain Home’s Facebook page. The air show’s official site lists the US Navy’s E/A-18G “Vikings” Growler Demo Team as one of the scheduled performers. The jets involved in the collision were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington, Umayam said.
Sunday marked the first Gunfighter Skies Air Show in eight years. A hang-glider pilot died in a crash during the last show in 2018.
Open Questions
- What caused the collision?
- What is the extent of damage to the airbase or surrounding areas?
- What is the status of the investigation?
- Will there be any impact on future air shows or military flight operations?
