Crews survive crash of NAS Whidbey jets during airshow
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Four crew members successfully ejected from two EA-18G Growlers after the Navy jets from Whidbey collided midair during an airshow on Sunday.
Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, confirmed the incident occurred during an aerial demonstration near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Only one crew member was hurt, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury that required treatment at a local hospital.
Recovery efforts for each aircraft — each valued at $67 million — and an investigation are underway.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our personnel, as well as security of the aircraft during the recovery,” Umayam said.
Growlers involved in the collision are assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129, known as “the Vikings,” at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. VAQ-129 is one of 12 operational Growler squadrons at the base, comprising the Electronic Attack Wing.
Crew members are part of the Growlers Airshow Team, which is a relatively new official Navy airshow demonstration team, according to the The Aviationist. The team was formally stood up around 2020.
Unlike the Blue Angels, the Growler Demo Team is not a permanent standalone aerobatic unit. The Aviationist reported that the pilots and crew are active-duty instructors and aviators from VAQ-129 who perform demonstrations while also training fleet aircrews.
“We are happy that all the crew members ejected safely from the aircraft and we are in full support of the Electronic Attack Community,” Mike Welding, the base’s public affairs officer, said.
Video of the incident circulating online shows the two jets entangle, one on top of the other. Flames and smoke appeared as the aircraft — which weigh about 33,000 pounds each, according to the Navy — hovered and rotated before plummeting. An explosion occurred when they impacted the ground.
The four crew members can be seen parachuting to safety just before the jets’ descent.
Facebook posts from Mountain Home Air Force Base the day of the incident announced a lockdown and the cancellation of the remainder of the airshow, which took place May 16 and 17. Performers also included the Air Force Thunderbirds and various historical aircraft.
