Two US Navy EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets were destroyed after a midair collision during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday. The aircraft, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, were performing as part of the Navy’s EA-18G Growler Demonstration Team when they made contact at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time.
According to Naval Air Forces U.S. Pacific Fleet, all four aviators aboard the two-seat jets successfully ejected and were recovered for medical evaluation. No injuries on the ground were reported, and base officials said no one at Mountain Home AFB was hurt. Videos posted by spectators showed the aircraft clipping each other before pitching upward, after which four parachutes deployed as the fused airframes descended and exploded on impact two miles northwest of the base.
The incident occurred during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, prompting a temporary lockdown of the installation as first responders secured the crash site. Navy and Air Force authorities have not released the causes of the collision, and an official investigation into the mishap is underway.