LOS ANGELES: Two fighter jets collided midair during a demonstration event in the northwestern state of Idaho on Sunday (May 18), with the pilots parachuting to safety from the aircraft, US media reported.
A statement posted to the Gunfighter Skies Air Show’s website confirmed “an aircraft incident has occurred at Mountain Home Air Force Base” about “two miles northwest of the base”.
“Emergency responders are on the scene, an investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available,” the statement said.
CBS News local affiliate KOMO reported all four crew members ejected safely from the Navy’s two EA-18 fighter jets.
Video shared on social media showed the jets colliding and tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground, causing an explosion and a huge plume of black smoke, as four parachutes drift downwards.
The Idaho Statesman reported the air show, where aircraft perform tricks and flyovers for an audience, was the first such event since 2018, when a hang glider pilot died in an accident.
Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for the Naval Air Forces US Pacific Fleet, told KOMO that the EA 18-G Growler jets are based in Whidbey Island, Washington.
NBC News reported the crash resulted in the air show’s cancellation and a lockdown on the base as emergency responders handle the scene and begin an investigation.
An attempt to contact the base for comment was not immediately successful.