Two US Navy EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft collided midair around 12:10 PM MDT on May 17, 2026, near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho during the "Gunfighter Skies" air show, officials said [1, 2, 3]. The crash occurred approximately 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) outside the base, which is located about 80 kilometers south of Boise [4, 5, 6, 7].
Both aircraft belonged to the US Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron 129, based at Whidbey Island, Washington [1, 2, 8]. All four crew members aboard the two jets safely ejected using their parachutes, with no reported injuries or casualties at the event[s1-s12]. Amelia Umayam, a US Navy Pacific Fleet aviation spokesperson, confirmed, "Four crew members safely ejected from two collided EA-18G Growler jets; the incident is under investigation" [1].
Eyewitness videos captured four parachutes deploying as the two aircraft appeared locked together, spinning before crashing and exploding on the ground [4, 5, 8, 9, 3]. Kim Sykes, marketing director for the Silver Wings of Idaho, said, "All four crew members safely ejected; the accident happened outside the base. I saw thick smoke afterward but did not witness the collision itself" [4].
Experts believe the collision likely resulted from pilot error during close formation flying rather than mechanical failure. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti explained, "The collision was likely due to pilot error during formation flying. The jets' temporary entanglement allowed the crew to eject safely, which is very rare in midair collisions" [8, 10, 9, 3]. John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, added, "Airshow pilots are highly skilled but the margin for error is extremely low. It’s fortunate everyone survived" [8].
The crash forced the closure of Mountain Home Air Force Base and cancellation of remaining air show events on May 17. Nearby Interstate 167 was also closed that evening for investigation and is expected to remain closed for several days [1, 2, 11, 9]. Each EA-18G Growler aircraft carries an estimated cost of about $67 million USD [8, 10].
The 2026 Gunfighter Skies air show marked its first local occurrence in eight years, following a fatal glider crash in 2018 [1, 2, 11, 12]. Emergency responders arrived promptly after the crash, and no other injuries were reported [11, 12, 9, 3].
Officials continue investigating the incident as the Navy examines flight data and pilot reports. The closure of the base and nearby highway will remain until authorities complete their inquiries.
