United States: Four crew members safely ejected after two US Navy fighter jets collided mid-air during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday, officials said.
The collision involved two E/A-18G Growler aircraft assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington, according to Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet.
The incident occurred around 12:10pm local time, approximately two miles from the base, while the aircraft were performing as part of the two-day air show.
“All four crew members ejected safely,” Umayam said, adding that the cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Following the crash, Mountain Home Air Force Base was temporarily placed under lockdown, according to a statement posted on the base’s Facebook page.
The Gunfighter Skies Air Show returned this year after an eight-year hiatus. During the previous event in 2018, a hang glider pilot was killed in a crash.
Local emergency agencies, including the Mountain Home Fire Department and Mountain Home Police Department, did not immediately comment on the incident.