Fighter Jets Collide at Idaho Air Show, All Crew Safe

Two fighter jets collided in midair during an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday. All four crew members successfully ejected and are in stable condition, as per U.S. Naval Air Forces officials.

Everyone is safe, and I think that’s the most important thing, remarked Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho, which took part in organizing the air show, CBS affiliate KBOI reported.

The Mountain Home Air Force Base announced on social media that it was locked down after the incident during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, resulting in the cancellation of the remaining events. Responders quickly arrived at the scene, and an investigation is currently in progress.

Videos shared online depicted the two jets becoming entangled in midair. Subsequently, four parachutes opened as the aircraft plummeted to the ground and exploded upon impact. A still image from a video, captured by witness Shane Odgen, shows four air crew members ejecting from the fighter jets post-collision.

The EA-18G Growlers involved belong to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington. Each aircraft costs approximately $67 million, according to the U.S. Navy.

Former pilot and Top Gun instructor Dave Berke informed CBS News that the jets were flying at very low altitude and relatively slow speeds when the collision occurred. The margin for error in this ejection was incredibly small, Berke noted. I think when this investigation is over, those four air crew are going to tell you there was a lot of luck involved that they all got to walk away from this.

The air show, celebrating aviation history and displaying modern military capabilities, included flying demonstrations and parachute jumps, as stated by the event’s organizers. The U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds were set to headline the show on both days.