Four crew members safely ejected after two Navy jets collided during an air show at a military base in western Idaho on Sunday, with videos from witnesses on the ground capturing four parachutes opening in the sky as the aircraft plummeted toward the earth.
The collision occurred during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, located approximately 50 miles south of Boise. Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho, which helped organise the event, confirmed all four crew members from both aircraft ejected safely. Sykes said the crash occurred off base and that while she did not witness the collision directly, she saw the smoke rising from the crash site shortly afterward.
Mountain Home Air Force Base announced a lockdown of the installation following the incident via social media, confirming that emergency responders were on scene and that an investigation had been launched. A person who answered the phone at the 366th Fighter Wing public affairs office said no further information was immediately available.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing the two planes collide mid-air before going down. Videos shared online showed the four parachutes deploying clearly against the sky as the jets fell.
The Gunfighter Skies Air Show is a popular annual event featuring flying demonstrations, parachute jumps, and displays of modern military aircraft intended to celebrate aviation history. The US Air Force Thunderbirds headlined both days of the show. The National Weather Service reported good visibility at the time of the collision, with winds gusting up to 29 miles per hour in the area.
