Video Captures Two Jets Colliding Mid-Air During Dramatic US Air Show
Mid-air jet collision during US air show was caught on video.
All four crew members safely ejected after two US Navy fighter jets collided mid-air during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho on Sunday, officials said. The aircraft involved were EA-18G Growlers assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based in Whidbey Island, Washington, according to Cmdr. Amelia Umayam.The collision occurred while the aircraft were performing an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies air show.
Officials said the two jets crashed near the base, located around 50 miles south of Boise, after the pilots and crew members successfully ejected. Base authorities confirmed that all four personnel were in stable condition and no injuries were reported on the ground.Videos shared online by spectators captured the dramatic sequence, showing the two aircraft appearing to make contact before spinning downward together.
Four parachutes could then be seen opening in the sky moments before the jets crashed and exploded into a fireball near the base. Witness Shane Ogden, who recorded the incident, said he initially believed the jets would separate before the collision worsened.The base was immediately locked down following the crash and the remainder of the air show was canceled.
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Kim Sykes, whose organisation helped plan the event, said public safety remained the top priority and confirmed that nobody at the base had been hurt during the incident.Aviation safety experts said the successful ejection of all four crew members was unusual in a mid-air collision. Former aviation investigator Jeff Guzzetti said the way the aircraft appeared to remain connected during their descent may have provided the crew enough time to escape safely. Another expert, John Cox, noted that air show flying involves extremely precise formation maneuvers with very little room for error.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft derived from the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet and is widely used by the US Navy for radar jamming and electronic attack missions. The Navy has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Organisers said this year’s Gunfighter Skies event marked the return of the air show after several years, while aviation officials noted that the US air show industry has worked extensively to improve safety standards following past fatal accidents.
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