What to know about a midair collision between 2 Navy jets at an Idaho air show
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided midair during the "Gunfighter Skies" air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, with all four crew members ejecting safely; only one sustained a non-life-threatening injury.
- Videos show the jets became sandwiched together before crashing and exploding, with experts suggesting pilot error during a close formation maneuver as the likely cause, though investigations are ongoing.
- The EA-18G Growler is a vital electronic warfare aircraft, with no current replacement, making the loss of two planes significant for the Navy’s capabilities.
- Ejecting from a jet is a complex and dangerous process involving high forces, but the relatively slow collision may have allowed the crew to safely escape.
- Air shows are inherently risky with little margin for error, but safety improvements have reduced fatalities in recent years; this was the first Gunfighter Skies event since 2018.