Two US Navy EA-18G Growlers collided during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on May 17, 2026, sending both aircraft crashing to the ground as spectators watched from the nearby base.
All four crew members ejected from the aircraft simultaneously as the jets appeared to become entangled with one another.
The crew members were taken to the hospital and reported in stable condition, according to base officials. No injuries were reported on the ground. The Navy has opened an investigation into the accident.
Video recorded by a spectator shows the two Growlers flying close together before appearing to make contact. The aircraft then remain close together while descending, with four parachutes visible above them. Moments later, the jets strike the ground and erupt in a fireball.
The aircraft were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington, according to Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet. The squadron operates the EA-18G Growler, the Navy’s carrier-based electronic attack aircraft derived from the F/A-18F Super Hornet.
The crash occurred during the second day of the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, which was scheduled for May 16 and 17. The base was placed on lockdown after the collision, and officials canceled the remainder of the event. The US Air Force Thunderbirds had headlined the show.
The aircraft came down near the base, about 50 miles southeast of Boise, Idaho. The crash site was roughly two miles from Mountain Home Air Force Base.
The EA-18G Growler provides airborne electronic attack, including radar jamming and suppression of enemy air defenses. The type normally carries a pilot and electronic warfare officer.
