Naval Aviators Safe After EA-18G Growlers Crash at Idaho Air Show
Four Navy pilots are safe after their EA-18G Growlers crashed during the Gunfighter Skies air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday.
The Growlers were assigned to the “Vikings” of VAQ-129 EA-18G Growler Demo Team out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington. The crash happened 2 miles northwest of the Air Force base, according to a post on the Gunfighter Skies website.
“An aircraft incident has occurred at Mountain Home Air Force Base during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show two miles northwest of the base,” reads the post. “Emergency responders are on the scene, an investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available.”
The two aircraft crashed around 12:10 MDT during an aerial demonstration, Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces told USNI News.
All four air crew members ejected, Umayam said. They are being evaluated by medical personnel. The crash is under investigation, Umayam said.
Each Growler has two crew members, a pilot and an electronic warfare officer who handles the electronic attack mission of the aircraft.
Footage of the midair collision shows one of the Growlers collide then fall from the sky. Four parachutes are seen deploying in the video.
The last Gunfighter Skies air show was held in 2018, during which a hang glider pilot died in an accident, according to the Statesman.
