Four Eject Safely After Military Jets Collide Midair at Mountain Home Air Show - Questions over Air Show Safety
iSpyVNY news - May 18, 2026
Mountain Home, Idaho — Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided and became entangled in midair during the Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighter Skies Air Show on May 17, marking the event’s return after an eight-year hiatus following a 2018 fatal crash. The air show’s theme this year was America 250: Freedom Takes Flight.
The incident occurred around 12:10 p.m. local time during an aerial demonstration. All four crew members ejected safely before the jets plummeted to the ground and exploded.
“The aircrew involved in the incident are in stable condition,” the Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighters confirmed on their official social media page. Base officials immediately placed the installation on lockdown and canceled the remainder of the air show.
Commander Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, provided the primary government statement, saying, “On May 17, 2026, two U.S. Navy EA-18G aircraft collided in midair while performing an aerial demonstration. All four of the air crew successfully ejected and they are being evaluated by medical personnel. First responders are on the scene. The incident is under investigation.”
Air Force Col. David Gunter, the installation commander, praised the rapid emergency response and emphasized the safety of the crew in a social media post following the lockdown.
According to reporting by WRAL via the Associated Press, each EA-18G Growler costs approximately $67 million. The destruction of both jets represents a total loss of roughly $134 million in taxpayer-funded aircraft assets alone.
Past Air Show Accidents Highlight Risks of Aerial Demonstrations
The Gunfighter Skies Air Show has a history of accidents. In 2018, 62-year-old civilian performer Dan Buchanan died after his motorized hang glider crashed onto a paved area of the airfield, in full view of spectators. The base did not host another Gunfighter Skies event until this year. In 2003, Capt. Chris Stricklin ejected safely from his F-16C Fighting Falcon after miscalculating a “Split S” maneuver, narrowly escaping a catastrophic crash.
Military air shows are not the only public aviation events with risk. On Oct. 11, 2025, 11-year-old Oliver Holland was severely injured when a vintage Bell 222 helicopter spun out of control and crashed during the “Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast” exhibition in Huntington Beach, California.
The helicopter, preparing for a low aerial arrival, went into an uncontrollable clockwise spin after NTSB investigators later determined that a critical tail rotor pitch link had come loose. The aircraft slammed into palm trees and a pedestrian bridge along the Pacific Coast Highway, pinning Holland beneath the wreckage. Bystanders lifted the debris, and the boy spent weeks in a medically induced coma before waking on his 12th birthday and ultimately making a full recovery. Five people in total were hospitalized, including the pilot and co-pilot.
Incidents like these raise questions about the balance between public spectacle and public safety. Military and civilian air shows draw large crowds and provide unique demonstrations of skill and technology, but accidents—sometimes deadly—underscore the stakes involved. Beyond human life, the financial cost is staggering: in Mountain Home, two Navy jets worth $134 million were lost in a matter of seconds.
As recreational aviation events return to the public eye, the debate continues over whether the thrill of flight demonstrations justifies the risk to life, the strain on emergency resources, and the expenditure of taxpayer dollars. For now, organizers and authorities face the difficult task of maintaining the allure of these spectacles while protecting participants, spectators, and public assets.
(above) Dan Buchanan, performing before the fatal 2018 Gunfighter Skies Air Show crash.
(above) Eleven year old Oliver Holland, injured in a 2025 "Cars 'N Copters on the Coast" Air Show. (left) Image from the same "Cars 'N Copters on the Coast" air show.