Four crew members ejected and survived after two U.S. Navy E/A-18G Growler jets collided in mid-air on Sunday near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet said.
Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said the two jets were involved in the collision about 2 miles from the base while "performing an aerial demonstration." The event was part of the two-day Gunfighter Skies Air Show. The incident occurred at approximately 12:10 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, and all four aircrew members ejected safely, Umayam said.
The aircraft involved were E/A-18G Growlers assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington. The air show’s official schedule lists the U.S. Navy’s E/A-18G "Vikings" Growler Demo Team among its performers, and Sunday marked the first Gunfighter Skies Air Show in eight years.
Following the collision, Mountain Home Air Force Base was placed on lockdown, according to a post on the base’s Facebook page. Umayam said the incident is under investigation and that further information will be released as it becomes available.
Requests for immediate comment to local response agencies were not returned. The Mountain Home Fire Department, Mountain Home Police Department and Elmore County emergency management coordinator did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to available information.
The last time the Gunfighter Skies Air Show was held, in 2018, a hang glider pilot died in a crash during the event. Beyond that detail, officials have not provided additional public updates about the circumstances that led to Sunday’s mid-air collision.
The Navy statement confirmed the number of crew involved and their safe ejection but offered limited operational detail while investigators examine the event. Umayam reiterated that more information will be released as the investigation progresses.
Context and immediate impacts
- The collision occurred during a scheduled aerial demonstration at a public air show.
- All four crew members ejected successfully and survival was confirmed by Naval Air Forces personnel.
- The incident prompted a lockdown of Mountain Home Air Force Base and initiated an official investigation.
What remains uncertain
- Officials have not yet released details on the cause of the collision; the investigation is ongoing.
- Local emergency agencies did not immediately provide comment, limiting public information about on-the-ground response and damage assessment.
The situation remains fluid while Navy investigators and local authorities work to determine the sequence of events that led to the mid-air collision. Further official updates are expected as the inquiry continues.