Four US Navy crew members narrowly escaped death after two EA-18G Growler aircraft collided and crashed during an aerial demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho .
The aircraft, from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington, were performing a routine display when the mid-air collision occurred. The four were, however, ejected safely.
Spokesperson for Naval Air Forces Commander Amelia Umayam confirmed the incident in a statement seen by BBC.
Videos captured by spectators show the jets making contact and spinning together before the crew ejects.
In one clip, the aircraft are seen rotating as parachutes deploy, before both planes strike the ground nearby and erupt into flames.
Base officials said all four crew members were in stable condition after ejecting.
No injuries were reported among personnel on the base, according to Kim Sykes, marketing director with volunteer group Silver Wings of Idaho, which helped organise the event.
According to CBC, the base was placed under lockdown immediately after the crash, and the remainder of the air show was cancelled.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Aviation safety experts described it as remarkable that the crews survived.
Jeff Guzzetti suggested the jets may have become momentarily entangled in a way that allowed the pilots to eject, a scenario he said is rare in mid-air collisions.
“It looks like they struck each other in a very unique fashion that caused them to remain intact and kind of stick together, and that very well could have saved them,” he said.
Guzzetti added the incident appeared likely to be pilot-related rather than a mechanical failure. John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said air show flying leaves little margin for error and praised the pilots’ skill.
The Navy will lead an investigation. Officials said, as with most military accident probes, fewer details may be released publicly than in civilian investigations.