What to know about a midair collision between 2 Navy jets at an Idaho air show
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — After two Navy jets collided in midair, the planes pinned together, all four crew members were able to eject and open their parachutes, gliding to safety as the plane descended toward a field and exploded into a fireball.
The crash occurred Sunday during the “Gunfighter Skies” air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, about 60 miles southwest of Boise.
Here are some things you need to know about the accident.
Only one crew member was injured
The commander stated that only one of the four crew members on the two planes was injured and was being treated in hospital. U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force spokeswoman Amelia Umayam said Monday. The injury is not life-threatening.
Billie Flynn, a former F-35 senior test pilot and demonstration specialist, said it was “truly remarkable” that all four were able to launch and land safely without landing in the wreckage.
“This is surprising, even incomprehensible, considering how planes influence each other,” said Flynn.
The two U.S. Navy EA18-G Growlers were from Electronic Attack Squadron 129, Whidbey Island, Washington. Each had two crew members.
The EA-18G Growler, just over 18.5 meters long, made its first flight in August 2006 and was the first newly designed electronic warfare aircraft produced in more than 35 years, according to the Navy.
Planes appeared to be stuck together before crashing
Videos taken by bystanders show one of the jets was slightly behind the other before the collision, and the two planes were then squeezed together, with the belly of one jet just behind the other jet and its top to the side.
The jets then twisted and swayed together, heading upward for a moment before turning downward and diving into the ground. The impact created a fireball and black smoke spread into the sky.
The crew jumped quickly, their parachutes opening as the jets turned towards the ground.
The cause of the accident is not yet known
Videos of the collision suggest human error was the cause, Flynn said. Before the crash, video showed they tried to line up from wingtip to wingtip, but failed to safely rejoin the formation, a routine maneuver, Flynn said.
Authorities have not yet released any information about what may have caused the crash. Umayam said that the investigation is continuing within the scope of efforts to salvage the damaged plane.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our personnel, as well as the safety of the aircraft during the rescue,” Umayam said in an email to The Associated Press.
The skills used in air show performances differ from those used in daily routine flying or combat, Flynn said. He calls it “the difference between showmanship and aviation.”
That’s why most military air show teams are assigned to perform only demonstration flights during the show season, he said.
The Growler demonstration flight crews are all flight instructors from Whidbey Island. Their primary missions generally include training pilots and electronic warfare officers from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
Subtraction is a complex process
Ejection seats use a complex system of engines and parachutes to lift the crew from the aircraft in the event of an emergency. First, the canopy is pushed away from the aircraft by an explosion so that it does not pose a danger to the crew. The seat is then launched upwards and out of the aircraft using solid rocket motors, before the parachute opens and the seat falls as the crew descends to the ground.
“You have to have enough height, you have to be clear of any obstacles, and even if all of that is successful, you could still injure your back,” said aviation expert Jeff Guzzetti. “Just the large, propulsive force of the ejection seat can compress the spine or shake your limbs.”
Guzzetti said ejection from aircraft is sometimes not possible during mid-air collisions because the damage to aircraft can be so extensive. But the way the two Navy planes came together may have provided an opportunity for the launch, he said.
“If they had hit each other any faster, they would have caused structural damage and the plane would have disintegrated,” he said.
The two Growlers use a seat manufactured by the UK-based company Martin-Baker, the company said. Martin-Baker describes itself as a leading manufacturer of ejection seats, including those used by the Navy since 1958. The company says its seats have since saved the lives of more than 2,000 Navy crew members.
Michael O’Donnell, a former Federal Aviation Administration official who also worked on ejection seats in the Air Force, said the explosive impact of the ejection exerted a tremendous force on the crew, 20 times the force of gravity. That’s enough force to temporarily shorten a person by up to an inch after being thrown, he said.
“It’s a really bad roller coaster ride, not even close to that,” O’Donnell said.
Breeders are irreplaceable
The aircraft remains the Navy’s most advanced airborne electronic attack vehicle, according to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAZ) 129’s website. The squadron is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where it maintains 55 specialized aircraft.
But Boeing stopped producing new Growlers a few years ago.
“These are very valuable national assets,” Flynn said. “There’s no newer version of these; they’re a very specific, very powerful electronic warfare platform, and there are never enough of them. And now we’ve lost two of them.”
Air shows are inherently dangerous
Pilots performing at air shows are among the best, but there is little room for error, said aviation safety expert John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems.
“Flying in an air show is a tough job. It has very little tolerance,” Cox said. “The people who do this are very good and the margin for error is very small. I’m glad everyone was able to get out.”
The air show industry has been working for years to improve the safety of the nearly 200 events held annually in the United States. The last fatal accidents at an air show occurred in 2024, when two people died in separate crashes at different events.
