Navy Growler midair at Mountain Home and what airshow safety looks like after the smoke clears

Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers collided in flight during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Both aircraft sustained damage and shed debris, but both crews recovered and landed safely. No fatalities, no ejections, and no spectator injuries were reported — an extraordinary outcome for a midair collision between tactical jets.

What Happened at Mountain Home

The two Growlers were performing as part of the show program when they made contact in flight. Spectator video captured the moment of impact clearly, showing debris separating from at least one aircraft. Both jets were able to return and land.

The Navy has confirmed the incident, and an investigation is underway. As a Class A mishap — which a midair between two aircraft valued at more than $40 million each certainly qualifies as — the investigation process will be thorough. Preliminary findings are unlikely for weeks, possibly months.

What Is the EA-18G Growler

The EA-18G Growler is the electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet. It is a two-seat, twin-engine tactical jet with a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 44,000 pounds. These aircraft cruise in the high 400-knot range and pull 4 to 7 Gs during demonstration profiles. The closure rates and margins in a tactical demonstration are orders of magnitude beyond anything encountered in general aviation traffic patterns.

How Airshow Demonstration Safety Works

Airshow demonstration flying is among the most disciplined flying in military aviation. Profiles are briefed, walked through, rehearsed, and flown dozens of times before they are performed in front of a crowd. Every maneuver has a show line, a crowd line, minimum altitudes, and minimum separation distances built in. A show narrator on the ground — also a rated pilot — monitors the entire sequence.

Civilian airshow performances fall under FAA Order 8900.1. Military demonstrations operate under their own service regulations, though the safety principles overlap significantly. Despite all of these layers, midair collisions in demonstration flying, while rare, do occur.

Why This Matters for General Aviation Pilots

Expect renewed discussion about airshow safety regulations. This incident will reignite conversation about demonstration profiles, separation standards, and risk acceptance across both military and civilian airshow operations. That discussion is healthy and necessary.

Watch your NOTAMs. Mountain Home’s airspace was restricted during the show under a Temporary Flight Restriction. The aftermath of an incident like this can extend TFRs, modify approaches, or close ramps while investigation teams work. If your home field or a nearby airport hosts military operations or airshows, stay aware of potential airspace changes in the coming weeks.

Midair collision avoidance applies to everyone. The NTSB consistently lists midair collisions among the most lethal categories of general aviation accidents. Most GA midairs don’t happen in formation — they happen in traffic patterns, near uncontrolled fields, in practice areas, and on converging courses where no one is talking to anyone.

The Limits of See and Avoid

The see-and-avoid principle taught on day one of private pilot training has real limitations. Human eyes have blind spots. Closure rates can exceed a pilot’s ability to detect and react. A Cessna 172 on a 45-degree converging course at the same altitude is nearly invisible until it’s too late because the relative bearing doesn’t change — the aircraft sits fixed in the windscreen, growing imperceptibly larger until it isn’t imperceptible anymore.

Practical steps to reduce your risk:

Fly with ADS-B In if equipped
Communicate on CTAF at uncontrolled fields — make your calls and listen for traffic
Keep your head outside the cockpit, especially in the pattern and practice areas
Perform clearing turns before maneuvers like steep turns or stalls — clear the area, look, then look again

The Navy crews at Mountain Home had world-class training and it still happened. The difference is that both aircraft were built to absorb punishment and both crews were trained to handle worst-case scenarios in real time. A Piper Cherokee or Bonanza offers no such margin.

The Role of Airshows in Aviation’s Future

Every time an airshow incident occurs, questions surface about whether airshows are too dangerous or should face further restrictions. Airshows remain one of aviation’s most powerful tools for inspiring the next generation of pilots. The risk is real, it is managed aggressively, and when something goes wrong, the community learns and adjusts.

The investigation will determine what went wrong. The findings will be incorporated into future demonstration standards. That is how aviation safety works — not by eliminating risk, but by understanding it, managing it, and learning every time something doesn’t go as planned.

Both crews are safe, and that is the best possible headline from a very bad day. Information current as of May 18, 2025.

Key Takeaways

Both Navy EA-18G Growler crews survived a midair collision during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home AFB with no fatalities or spectator injuries
A Class A mishap investigation is underway — expect preliminary findings in weeks to months
GA pilots near airshow venues should monitor NOTAMs for extended TFRs and airspace restrictions
Midair collision avoidance is a universal concern — the NTSB ranks midairs among the deadliest GA accident categories
See and avoid has real limits — use ADS-B In, communicate on frequency, and keep your eyes outside the cockpit