Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets collided in midair during a demonstration flight at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on May 17. All four aviators ejected within roughly five seconds of impact and were taken to medical personnel in stable condition. The aircraft, each valued at approximately $67 million, pitched upward, stalled, then cartwheeled to the ground and exploded.
The jets were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) — the Navy's Growler fleet replacement squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington. Spectator videos captured four parachutes opening as the aircraft plummeted into the brush, igniting a fire that scorched 25 acres before being extinguished. The base went into lockdown, the public was warned away, and the remaining Sunday program — which was to be headlined by the Air Force Thunderbirds — was canceled.
The incident marks the third crash at an Idaho air show in 23 years and the latest in a string of EA-18G mishaps for the Whidbey-based community. The Navy has launched an investigation, with no civilian or ground-crew injuries reported.