Two US Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets collided in mid-air, burst into flames and crashed to the ground during a live performance at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on 17 May 2026. What had been billed as a triumphant return for the show, after an eight-year hiatus, turned in seconds into a disaster unfolding in full view of thousands of spectators.
The collision occurred approximately two miles north-west of the base at around 12:30 in the afternoon, local time, on the final day of the two-day show. Witness footage captured the moment the two aircraft became entangled during a low-speed manoeuvre, lost altitude in unison and struck the ground in a ball of fire that sent a thick column of black smoke rising above the Idaho desert. All four crew members, a pilot and an electronic warfare officer aboard each aircraft, successfully ejected and parachuted to safety before impact, in what the air show announcer described as one of the most critical possible outcomes averted.
