Two US Navy E/A-18G Growler jets collided mid-air about two miles northwest of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho during the Gunfighter Skies air show on Sunday, May 17, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. All four pilots safely ejected, and videos showed four parachutes deploying as the planes fell [3, 7]. An air show announcer told the crowd, "We had four good parachutes. The crews were able to eject. They’re located one mile south of where the smoke is" [7].
The jets involved belong to the US Navy's Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington [4]. A fire erupted at the crash site, leading to a brief lockdown of Mountain Home Air Force Base, according to officials and social media posts from the base [1, 3, 4, 6, 7]. The remaining events of the Gunfighter Skies air show were canceled following the collision [1, 3, 7].
Commander Amelia Umayam said, "The two jets with four crew collided while performing an aerial demonstration as part of the air show. All four crew members ejected safely. The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available" [4]. The 2026 event was the first Gunfighter Skies air show since 2018, when a hang-glider pilot died in an accident at the same venue [1, 4, 7].
An investigation into the collision is underway as officials continue to assess the incident and pilot conditions [1, 3, 4, 7]. All four crew members are reported to be in stable condition [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7].
