Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. All four aviators ejected safely before the $67 million jets crashed and burst into flames.
Four U.S. Navy aviators ejected safely after two EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets collided mid-air Sunday afternoon during a live aerial demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
The collision abruptly halted the installation’s first Gunfighter Skies air show in eight years and destroyed both aircraft. Each Growler carries a unit cost of $67 million.
Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, confirmed the sequence of events in a written release. “On May 17, 2026, two U.S. Navy EA18-G assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington collided in mid-air while performing an aerial demonstration involving four air crew for the Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighter Skies Air Show, near Mountain Home Air Force Base at about 12:10 p.m. MDT,” she stated. Umayam confirmed all four crew members survived. “All four of the air crew successfully ejected and they are being evaluated by medical personnel. First responders are on the scene,” she said.
The two Growlers were executing a two-ship aerobatic close-formation pass when the trailing jet closed too rapidly on the lead aircraft. The nose of the trailing Growler struck the rear upper section and tail empennage of the lead jet. The two airframes then appeared to lock together, pitching abruptly upward before entering an irrecoverable flat spin. Less than five seconds after the initial impact, all four crew members — two pilots and two Electronic Warfare Officers — initiated their ejection sequences. The entangled jets impacted terrain near State Highway 167, disintegrating in a large fireball.
Civilian photographer Shane Ogden captured the collision and ejections on video, footage that was widely circulated by national media. “I was just filming thinking they were going to split apart and that happened and I filmed the rest,” Ogden said in a text message to reporters, adding that he immediately left the area to avoid obstructing incoming emergency responders. Spectators along the flight line described seeing sparks or flashes in the sky moments before a large plume of black smoke rose northwest of the base.
The four aviators landed safely approximately one mile south of the rising smoke plume. An Idaho Statesman reporter at the scene noted their parachutes became visible almost immediately after the collision. Air show announcers addressed the crowd over the public address system as the emergency unfolded. “We had four good parachutes. The crews were able to eject. They’re located one mile south of where the smoke is. The parachutes came down,” an announcer told spectators. The announcer also asked attendees to keep the pilots and crew members in their prayers as rescue operations continued.
Mountain Home AFB went into immediate lockdown. Crash fire rescue units, military police, and emergency medical helicopters were dispatched to both the crash site and the aviators’ landing coordinates. Debris from the burning aircraft ignited a localized brush fire in the surrounding high-desert terrain. State Highway 67, known locally as Airbase Road, was shut down for three and a half hours. State Highway 167, or Grandview Highway, was closed for multiple days between the base’s Contractors Gate and Easy Street to preserve the debris field for investigators. The Idaho State Police, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Mountain Home Police Department, and the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office all assisted in the response.
Col. David R. Gunter, commander of the 366th Fighter Wing, addressed the outcome and the multi-agency mobilization. “First and foremost, we are incredibly thankful that everyone involved in today’s incident is safe,” he said. “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.”
Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho — the volunteer group that assisted in organizing the event — offered a brief assessment. “Everyone is safe and I think that’s the most important thing,” Sykes said.
Cmdr. Umayam confirmed the investigation is active. “The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” she said. Under Department of Defense standards, the complete destruction of both aircraft — at a combined value of $134 million — qualifies the incident as a Class A Mishap, the military’s most serious aviation accident classification, mandating the Naval Safety Command to immediately convene an Aircraft Mishap Investigation Board. Investigators are expected to review flight data, communications logs, maintenance records, and eyewitness video.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare variant of the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, designed to provide tactical jamming and electronic protection to allied strike aircraft in contested environments. Each jet carries a crew of two: a pilot and an Electronic Warfare Officer. VAQ-129, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state, serves as the Navy’s sole Fleet Replacement Squadron for the Growler platform, responsible for training all newly designated EA-18G aviators and EWOs.
Sunday’s crash revived memories of earlier accidents at the base. The 2026 Gunfighter Skies show was the first at Mountain Home AFB since 2018, when a hang glider pilot, Dan Buchanan, was killed during a scheduled performance — a fatality that prompted the immediate cancellation of that year’s event. In 2003, a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 pilot ejected moments before his aircraft impacted the flight line during an air show performance. No spectators were injured in that incident.
Strong winds gusting up to 29 mph had already forced organizers to cancel all scheduled parachute demonstrations earlier Sunday. That decision made it immediately apparent to spectators that the four descending parachutes after the collision belonged to the ejected aircrew.
Despite the crash and subsequent lockdown, base commanders kept static displays and STEM exhibits open until 4:00 p.m. MDT to safely accommodate stranded visitors. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds proceeded with scheduled munitions demonstrations, a meet-and-greet, and an autograph session.
Key Takeaways
- Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers from VAQ-129 at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, collided mid-air on May 17, 2026, during the Gunfighter Skies air show at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, destroying both $67 million aircraft.
- All four crew members — two pilots and two Electronic Warfare Officers — ejected within five seconds of impact and were safely recovered approximately one mile from the crash site; one aviator was treated for a non-life-threatening injury.
- The collision triggered an immediate base lockdown, a localized brush fire, and multi-day closures of two state highways; the incident qualifies as a Class A Mishap under DoD standards.
- The 2026 show was the first Gunfighter Skies event since 2018, when a fatal hang glider accident ended that year’s air show; a 2003 Thunderbird crash also occurred at the base.
- The Naval Safety Command has launched a formal Aircraft Mishap Investigation Board to determine the cause of the mid-air collision.