Two Navy fighter jets collide midair at Idaho air show, crews safe

Two Navy fighter jets collided midair during a public air show in western Idaho, turning a carefully choreographed demonstration into a stark safety test as all four aircrew members ejected and survived. The crash happened at about 12:10 p.m. MDT Sunday during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, about 50 miles south of Boise.

The aircraft were U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 in Whidbey Island, Washington. Base officials said the crew members were in stable condition after ejecting, and no one on the ground was injured. Mountain Home Air Force Base was locked down immediately after the collision, and the remainder of the air show was canceled.

The event had been scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17, 2026, and was set to feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as headliners. Organizers described Gunfighter Skies as a celebration of aviation history and a showcase for modern military capability, a pitch that makes the crash especially consequential for the military and air show community now confronting the risks of exhibition flying in front of large crowds.

Witness video showed the jets appearing to touch in the air before falling together, with four parachutes opening before impact. The images underscored how little room for error exists during close formation demonstrations, even with trained military crews and event oversight. The National Weather Service reported good visibility around the time of the crash, but winds were gusting up to 29 mph, or 47 kph, a condition that aviation observers said left little margin for mistakes.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. In the meantime, the incident is likely to draw scrutiny to air show safety procedures, emergency response readiness and the broader risk calculus behind exhibition flying, where precision and spectacle are balanced against the possibility of catastrophe. For spectators at Mountain Home, the show ended abruptly. For military aviation organizers nationwide, the review has only just begun.