Two US Navy fighter jets collide mid-air during air show in Idaho | Video
Two US Navy fighter jets collided during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
Two US Navy fighter jets collided and crashed on Sunday during an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho, officials said. All four crew members ejected safely in a mid-air collision involving US Navy EA18-G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129.
Cmdr Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet, said the aircraft were performing an aerial demonstration when the crash happened.
Nobody at the military base was hurt, said Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho, which helped to plan the air show. "Everyone is safe, and I think that's the most important thing," Sykes said.
Here's the video | WATCH
Dramatic videos circulating online captured the moment two aircraft appeared to collide mid-air before plunging toward the ground in flames during an air show. Videos posted online by spectators showed four parachutes opening in the sky as the aircraft plummeted to the ground near the base about 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Boise.
The incident occurred during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, located around 50 miles southeast of Boise.
The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet with sophisticated electronic warfare systems.
Planes fell to the ground together
The base said in a social media post that it was locked down immediately following the crash. The remainder of the air show was canceled.
Shane Ogden said he was filming the two jets as they came close together. A video he captured shows the two aircraft appear to make contact and then spin in tandem as the crew members eject and their parachutes open. The planes then fall together, exploding into a fireball upon impact as the crew members drift to the ground nearby.
"I was just filming, thinking they were going to split apart, and that happened, and I filmed the rest," Ogden said in a text message. He said he left soon after the crash because he did not want to get in the way of emergency responders.
Organizers said the popular air show that includes flying demonstrations and parachute jumps is a celebration of aviation history and a look at modern military capabilities. The US Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration squadron headlined the show both days.
The National Weather Service reported good visibility and winds gusting up to 29 mph (47 kph) around the time of the crash.
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