Two US Navy EA-18G Growler fighter planes collided in the air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show held at Mountain Home Air Base in the US state of Idaho. In the accident, four crew members on two aircraft used the ejection seats safely and were taken under control by medical teams. EA-18G Growler aircraft crashed during the show. The accident occurred on Sunday, May 17, 2026, during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show. Two EA-18G Growlers belonging to the US Navy contacted in the air during a demonstration flight and later crashed near the base.
It was announced that the incident took place approximately 2 miles from Mountain Home Air Base. The area is located about 50 miles south of the city of Boise. Two US military jets crashed during an aerial performance over Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/qQndcc4HEl— AF Post (@AFpost) May 17, 2026 It was reported that the planes involved in the collision were affiliated with Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state.
U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Air Forces spokesman Cmdr. Amelia Umayam announced that the accident occurred while the two planes were flying as part of the air show and the four crew members on the planes jumped safely. In the footage of the incident, it is seen that the two planes touched each other, turned together, lost altitude, and then four parachutes opened. After the planes crashed into the ground, a fireball formed in the area.
Following the accident, emergency teams were dispatched to the scene, temporary security measures were taken at the base, and the remaining part of the air show was canceled. Mountain Home Air Base announced that the condition of the crews was stable after the accident and the fire that broke out after the collision was under control. Authorities also announced that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
According to information provided by Reuters, the section of State Highway 167 close to the crash site will remain closed for a few days. EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft developed based on the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet and can operate on aircraft carriers. The aircraft is involved in missions such as radar jamming and suppression of enemy air defense systems. Normally, a pilot and an electronic warfare officer work in the model.
The Gunfighter Skies Air Show was held for the first time in eight years at Mountain Home Air Base. The US Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team also took part in the program. The last organization of the same air show in 2018 came to the fore with the accident in which a glider pilot lost his life.
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