Two US Navy jets crash after collision at the Idaho air show; All crew members safe

Two U.S. Navy EA-18 Growler jets collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. According to Navy officials, all four crew members safely ejected before the jets crashed, and no one at the base was hurt. The rest of the events were cancelled, and the air base went into lockdown as emergency responders rushed to the area. An investigation is underway, according to CBS affiliate Idaho News. 

The dramatic incident occurred on the final day of the Gunfighter Skies air show, two miles northwest of Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base. The collision was captured by a bystander in a video on Facebook that showed the two jets making contact in the air, then careering in the sky before hitting the ground and erupting in a plume of dirt and fire. Four parachutes were clearly seen floating above the crash site after the jets made contact. "All four of the air crew successfully ejected," Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for the Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a statement.

The Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighters further reported that the crew members were in a stable condition. Furthermore, Air St. Luke's, which was part of the emergency response, stated on social media that "the injuries reported were not life-threatening." The collision involved two Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 in Whidbey Island. Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho, further stated that nobody at the base was hurt. "Everyone is safe, and I think that's the most important thing," Sykes said, according to the local CBS affiliate. The incident occurred when the aircraft was performing an aerial demonstration that involved the jets getting close.

Following the incident, the Mountain Home Air Force Base announced that the remainder of the two-day Gunfighter Skies Air Show was canceled, and an investigation is underway. "Please DO NOT travel to or attempt to access Mountain Home Air Force Base as a spectator, as the event will no longer be taking place," the Mountain Home Police Department notified. "We understand many were looking forward to this event and appreciate your understanding and cooperation," the statement added. 

In the official release, the 366th Fighter Wing noted that the EA-18G Growler aircraft involved is a "variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft" with the platform of the  F/A-18 F Super Hornet and a "sophisticated electronic warfare suite." According to the U.S. Navy, each of the jets costs about $67 million. The last Gunfighter Skies air show was held eight years ago in 2018, during which a tragic incident claimed the life of a hang glider pilot in an accident, according to KTVB. The pilot, Dan Buchanan, was performing an act he had regularly performed, but according to an eyewitness, a gust of wind caused him to lose control, resulting in the fatal crash.