Mountain home: Two U.S. Navy fighter jets collided in mid-air during an air show at an Idaho air exhibition, resulting in all four crew members ejecting safely.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident involved two EA-18G Growler fighter jets, electronic warfare aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) based at Naval Base Whidbey Island, Washington. The jets were participating in an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho.
Video footage and eyewitness accounts reveal that the jets came dangerously close during an aerobatic maneuver before colliding and becoming locked together. This resulted in them spinning and descending rapidly. The crew members successfully ejected and deployed parachutes before the aircraft crashed, exploding approximately 3.5 kilometers from the air base. Fortunately, all four crew members are in stable condition, and there were no injuries reported on the ground.
The U.S. Navy has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Experts highlight that the survival of all crew members underscores the effectiveness of the emergency ejection systems and the quality of military emergency response training.