Four Crew Members Safe After Navy Jets Collide at Idaho Air Show

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — All four crew members aboard a pair of U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers survived after their aircraft collided during a mid-air performance at the Gunfighter Skies air show on Sunday. The incident, which occurred approximately two miles northwest of the Mountain Home Air Force Base, prompted an immediate lockdown of the facility and the cancellation of the remainder of the high-profile event.

The two aircraft, belonging to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 out of Whidbey Island, Washington, were conducting an aerial demonstration when they made contact during a low-speed maneuver. Spectator footage posted to social media captures the harrowing moment the jets appeared to entangle before spiraling toward the desert floor. Moments before the aircraft hit the ground and erupted into a fireball, four parachutes were seen deploying clearly against the Idaho sky.

All four crew members successfully ejected from their aircraft and were recovered safely, according to naval officials. The aircrew, consisting of a pilot and an electronic warfare officer in each jet, were promptly transported for medical evaluation. No injuries were reported among event spectators or ground personnel on the base.

“Everyone is safe and I think that’s the most important thing,” said Kim Sykes, marketing director for Silver Wings of Idaho, one of the event’s planning partners.

The crash occurred on the final day of the Gunfighter Skies show, which was intended to celebrate a return to the base after an eight-year hiatus. The event had drawn large crowds for a weekend of demonstrations, headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. While the National Weather Service reported good visibility at the time of the incident, officials noted that wind gusts reached 29 mph, a detail that may likely be scrutinized as part of the formal investigation.

This incident marks the first major air show-related crash in the U.S. since 2022, a year that saw a fatal collision involving vintage military aircraft in Dallas. Over the past decade, the industry has seen a downward trend in fatal accidents, according to John Cudahy, president and CEO of the International Council of Air Shows.

“Safety wise we’ve enjoyed really an unprecedented term of few accidents,”

— John Cudahy, President and CEO, International Council of Air Shows

The air show industry manages approximately 200 events annually across the United States, maintaining a rigorous safety protocol that has successfully prevented spectator fatalities for over seven decades, with the last such death occurring in 1952. Industry observers note that while military demonstration flying is inherently risky, the rapid ejection and survival of all four personnel is being viewed as a testament to the safety systems currently employed by the Navy.

Naval Air Forces officials confirmed that a full investigation is underway. The recovered personnel, who were assigned to a training squadron tasked with preparing replacement aircrew, will assist investigators in piecing together the sequence of events that led to the collision. For now, the focus remains on the well-being of the four aviators who narrowly avoided tragedy.