Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided midair during the "Gunfighter Skies" air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday, yet all four crew members managed to eject and parachute to safety as the aircraft crashed into a field and erupted in flames.
Survival Against the Odds
Only one of the four crew members sustained an injury, which was not life-threatening, according to Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The injured crew member is receiving treatment at a hospital. Former F-35 senior test pilot Billie Flynn described the safe ejection as "truly remarkable" and "incomprehensible" given the severity of the collision.
The Aircraft Involved
The two EA-18G Growlers belonged to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based in Whidbey Island, Washington. Each jet carried two crew members. The Growler, measuring 60.2 feet in length, first flew in August 2006 and is the first newly designed electronic warfare aircraft in over 35 years. It saw its combat debut in Libya in 2011 and has been deployed worldwide since.
Collision Details
Spectator videos show one jet slightly behind the other before impact, with the aircraft appearing to become sandwiched together—the belly of one jet behind and to the side of the other's top. The jets twisted and rocked, momentarily pointing straight up before plunging downward. The crash produced a fireball and black smoke. Crew members ejected in quick succession, their parachutes deploying as the jets began to descend.
Cause Under Investigation
Flynn noted that video evidence suggests pilot error, as the jets appeared to be attempting a routine wingtip-to-wingtip formation but failed to rejoin safely. Officials have not confirmed the cause, and the incident is under investigation. Efforts to recover the damaged aircraft are ongoing, with priority on personnel safety and aircraft security.
Air Show Safety Record
Aviation safety expert John Cox emphasized that air show flying has very little tolerance for error, though pilots are highly skilled. The industry has improved safety over the years. The last fatal air show crashes in the U.S. occurred in 2024, with two deaths. This year's Gunfighter Skies was the first at the base since 2018, when a hang glider pilot died. In 2003, a Thunderbirds pilot ejected safely just before impact. According to John Cudahy of the International Council of Air Shows, average annual deaths at U.S. air shows dropped from 3.8 (1991-2006) to 1.1 since 2017, with no deaths in 2023 or 2025. No spectator has been killed since 1952.
