Two Navy EA-18G Growlers collided midair on May 17 during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. All four crew members ejected safely, and there were no fatalities.
The crash happened at about 12:10 p.m. local time at the Gunfighter Skies Airshow. One member is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Navy Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for U.S. Pacific Fleet, shared with media.
The other three crew members reported no injuries. The crash, which occurred two miles northwest of the base, is under investigation.
The two crews and aircraft are part of the Growler Airshow Team with the VA-129 “Vikings” Fleet Replacement Squadron out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The Vikings are one of 14 Growler squadrons in the the Electronic Attack Wing under Naval Air Force, Pacific.
The Viking squadron’s inventory includes 55 Growlers, according to its website. It serves as a non-deploying unit that replaces Growlers for the fleet. According to Navy budget documents, the service has 158 Growlers in its inventory.
The crash was captured on video by photographer Shane Ogden and posted to Facebook. The video has since been shared on various social media platforms.
The video appears to show a trailing Growler approach the rear of the leading Growler before colliding with the top of the leading aircraft. The pair of jets then seem to lock onto each other and spin as the two crews eject.
Mountain Home’s 366th Fighter Wing commander Col. David R. Gunter posted on Facebook the day of the incident: “First and foremost, we are incredibly thankful that everyone involved in today’s incident is safe.”
“The extraordinary professionalism of our emergency response teams, including the city and county, allowed for quick response to the aircrew as well as securing the scene to ensure the safety of our guests, performers and the community,” Gunter wrote.
The air show was halted and then cancelled following the incident. This was the first Gunfighter Airshow at the base in eight years.
The Growler serves as a tactical-level electronic warfare platform, based on the FA-18E/F Super Hornet.
An estimated half-dozen EA-18Gs flew in the early stages of Operation Epic Fury, Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported. The Growler was also deployed in a fleet of 150 aircraft for January’s Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro.
The EA-37B is considered a theater-level electronic warfare asset, coordinating, detecting and attacking enemy defenses. It serves as a connection node to national, theater, and strike-level platforms and can pass targeting information for weapons systems.
The Boeing-built Growler has a starting unit cost of $67 million, according to Navy data.
The jet sometimes works in coordination with the Air Force’s EA-37B Compass Call, a militarized version of the Gulfstream G550. A December Air Force release highlighted the pair integrating at Kadena Air Force Base, Japan.
The Air Force is asking Congress for $3 billion in spending on the Compass Call to nearly double the fleet from 12 to 22 total aircraft.
The EA-37B is considered a theater-level electronic warfare asset, coordinating, detecting and attacking enemy defenses.