Mountain Home base crash: Update on pilots as fighter jets collide mid-air at Gunfighter Skies Air Show

Authorities say all four crew members survived after two US Navy aircraft collided during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show in Idaho

Updated on: May 18, 2026 1:38 AM IST

Share via

Copy link

All four crew members of two US Navy fighter aircraft involved in a mid-air collision during an air show in Idaho have safely ejected, the Idaho Statesman reported.

The incident occurred during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Spectators witnessed two Navy aircraft collide during an aerial performance.

According to the Idaho Statesman report on the plane crash, the aircrafts that collided were reported to be Navy Super Hornets or EA-18G “Vikings” Growlers participating in the air show demonstration.

Four parachutes seen after dramatic collision

Videos captured by attendees appeared to show the aircraft making contact during a maneuver after which debris and black smoke became visible in the sky.

Social media footage and eyewitness videos circulating online showed at least four parachutes descending after the collision. Shortly after 1 p.m., an announcer informed the crowd that all four Navy pilots had been "found safe."

“We had four good parachutes. The crews were able to eject. They’re located one mile south of where the smoke is. The parachutes came down,” the announcer said, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Emergency crews rushed to the area immediately after the collision, while spectators were directed away from portions of the base during the response effort.

The Gunfighter Skies Air Show

The Gunfighter Skies Air Show is a major public event hosted by Mountain Home Air Force Base. The Sunday Gunfighter Skies was the first one held after eight years.

An accident during the 2018 Gunfighter skies claimed the life of a hang glider pilot. At the Mountain Home air show in 2003, a Thunderbird crashed, but the pilot managed to eject.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.