Spectators at an air show in Boise, Idaho, were stunned Sunday after two U.S. Navy fighter jets collided midair during a performance, destroying both aircraft and forcing all four crew members to eject.
The crash happened during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base when two Navy EA-18 Growler jets made contact while flying in formation. Video from the scene quickly spread across social media, showing smoke and flames erupting in the sky before debris fell to the ground.
Despite the severity of the collision, all four aviators safely escaped the aircraft. Navy officials later confirmed that the pilots and crew members ejected successfully and were evaluated by medical personnel afterward.
“All four of the air crew successfully ejected,” Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a statement.
According to ABC News, the aircraft were assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state. Officials said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The air show was immediately canceled following the incident. Mountain Home Police Department urged attendees not to travel back toward the base as emergency crews responded to the scene.
Witnesses described the terrifying moment the jets collided overhead.
All four air crew members “successfully ejected” after two jets crashed in midair during an air show in Idaho, the Navy said in a statement Sunday, adding that the crew members were being “evaluated by medical personnel.” https://t.co/XwGsSPvpdE pic.twitter.com/vWkAt2oSvF
— ABC News (@ABC) May 17, 2026
David Katz, who attended the event with his family, told Fox News they watched one of the aircraft catch fire in the air after impact.
“We saw the smoke and fireball,” Katz said. “Apparently, they collided there. One of the planes was impacted and started burning in the air.”
The EA-18 Growler is a specialized electronic warfare aircraft used by the Navy for radar jamming and combat support missions. The jets are commonly featured at military demonstrations and air shows because of their speed and maneuverability.
Former Navy commander Phil Ehr reacted to the crash on social media, calling the successful escape of all four aviators extraordinary given the circumstances.
“Four good parachutes popping out of those entangled aircraft is a miracle. That they all survived is another,” Ehr wrote on X.
He also noted the dangers associated with military aviation training and demonstrations, saying incidents like this have long-lasting effects beyond the pilots involved.
“Aviation combat training is inherently dangerous. Investigations will get to the bottom of this particular ‘Class A mishap,’ so other pilots learn and get stronger,” Ehr said.
He added that crashes of this magnitude impact entire military communities, especially those connected to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where the squadron is based.
“Crashes like this affects families, squadrons, bases and whole communities,” Ehr wrote. “These aviators are assigned to a Navy electronic attack squadron based at NAS Whidbey Island, a community that knows all too well tragedies of death and near death events.”
Federal investigators and Navy officials are expected to review flight data, pilot communications, and eyewitness footage as they work to determine exactly what caused the collision.
