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Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided midair during the second day of the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday, though all four crew members successfully ejected, the U.S. Navy confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said the two aircraft were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 out of Whidbey Island, Washington.
The midair crash happened at about 12:10 p.m. MDT while the aircraft were performing an aerial demonstration during the air show, Umayam said.
Umayam said all four air crew members successfully ejected and were being evaluated by medical personnel while first responders remained at the scene.
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Dramatic video posted to social media appears to show two jets colliding midair before four parachutes deploy. The aircraft then fall to the ground before exploding, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.
In a statement posted to Facebook earlier in the day, Mountain Home Gunfighters said “an aircraft incident has occurred at Mountain Home Air Force Base during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show two miles northwest of the base.”
“Emergency responders are on the scene, an investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available,” the statement added.
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David Katz, who attended the air show with his family, told Fox News Digital he witnessed what appeared to be the two aircraft colliding before one started to catch fire.
“We saw the smoke and fireball,” Katz said. “Apparently they collided there. One of the planes was impacted and started burning in the air.”
Katz said he was in a vehicle with his two sons when they saw four parachutes deploy from the aircraft – two from each plane.
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He added that bystanders were trying to determine whether the pilots made it out safely as emergency crews rushed toward the crash site.
“Fire crews are flying by us right now,” Katz told Fox News Digital.
KTVB reported that witnesses described seeing two jets crash during the show and shared videos showing a large plume of black smoke rising near the base. The station also reported that law enforcement and emergency crews responded to the scene while officials worked to gather more information.
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The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft in the F/A-18 Super Hornet family designed to conduct airborne electronic attack missions for the Navy.
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