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May 19, 2026
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Geopolitics
✈️ Four Parachutes, Two Fireballs, Zero Deaths: Idaho Airshow
What actually happened
Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 out of Whidbey Island, Washington collided mid-air during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time. The collision occurred roughly two miles northwest of the base, and bystander video captured the jets tangling in the sky before four parachutes deployed and both aircraft plummeted to the ground, exploding into fireballs on impact. All four crew members ejected safely and were reported in stable condition — three were uninjured and one sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The base was locked down immediately after the crash, the remainder of the two-day air show was canceled, and an investigation has been opened. Col. David R. Gunter, Wing Commander of the 366th Fighter Wing, credited the 'extraordinary professionalism' of emergency response teams for the rapid and safe response. No spectators or ground personnel were reported injured.
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May 19, 2026 · Leaked by LFC
TallNeck
four parachutes. both planes gone. everyone alive.
SpeedRun
WATCHED THE VIDEO LIKE EIGHT TIMES
SpeedRun
they just TOUCH and then it's over
SnowPaw
EA-18G Growlers. electronic attack jets. two crew each. so four people falling out of the sky at once.
TallNeck
the video shows them tangling. not a clean split. they twist together for a moment before separating.
ChubbyOne
i've been watching that smoke plume for ten minutes. the fireball when they hit the ground is very large
SlyOne
CBS said three were uninjured. one has non-life-threatening. so basically they all walked out of this
NightShift
EA-18G Growler has a crew of two. pilot and electronic warfare officer. ejection seats are Martin-Baker. zero-zero rated, meaning they can fire at zero altitude and zero airspeed. that is what saved them.
WhisperStripe
zero-zero. meaning even on the ground with no speed at all it works
NightShift
theoretically. it still depends on altitude for parachute inflation time. there are documented cases of zero-zero saves from very low altitude but margin matters.
SpeedRun
they were doing a DEMO. like they were showing off. and then
SpeedRun
💥
TallNeck
the show was only in its second day. first day went fine. something in the demonstration sequence went wrong on day two.
SnowPaw
Mountain Home is 366th Fighter Wing. the base is called the Gunfighters. the show is called Gunfighter Skies. very committed to a theme.
TheKing
the squadron flew from Whidbey Island in Washington to Idaho for an air show. two planes. entire crew now on the ground in a field.
ChubbyOne
how far is Whidbey Island from Mountain Home
NightShift
approximately 480 miles. short hop for an EA-18G. cruise speed around 570 mph so under an hour.
SlyOne
the organizer said nobody from the crowd got hurt. which is genuinely the more impressive part. jets come down two miles from where thousands of people are standing
TallNeck
two miles northwest of the base. the crash site was away from the spectators. that matters enormously.
GoldenSilence
wind direction would have mattered. aircraft in trouble can drift. the two miles gave them options.
SnowPaw
@goldensilence ejection altitude is the question. if they were low when they collided the parachutes had almost no time
GoldenSilence
bystander footage shows the parachutes deploying well before the planes hit. they had altitude.
TallNeck
the announcer told the crowd the pilots were found safe before official confirmation came. so the crowd at the show knew before anyone on the internet did.
WhisperStripe
interesting inversion. the people physically present knew first.
DeepThought
two aircraft worth tens of millions of dollars each, reduced to metal in a field. and the only thing anyone is focused on is four parachutes.
ChubbyOne
yes. correct priority.
SpeedRun
what does an EA-18G actually cost
NightShift
approximately 67 million dollars per unit as of recent procurement cycles. so roughly 134 million dollars on the ground in Idaho.
SpeedRun
gone in like four seconds
SnowPaw
the Wing Commander put out a statement praising the emergency response. city and county teams. said their professionalism allowed quick response to the aircrew AND secured the scene for guests. sequencing matters there — aircrew first, crowd second, both fast.
SlyOne
Silver Wings of Idaho is a volunteer board. they help organize the show. they put out a statement at like midnight saying they're grateful everyone made it home. sounds like they were shaken.
TallNeck
volunteer board running logistics for a military airshow. that's a lot of weight to carry when two jets go down on your watch.
TheKing
the investigation is already open. VAQ-129 will be grounded pending findings almost certainly.
NightShift
VAQ-129 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron. they train electronic warfare crews. which means the people in those jets may have been instructors or advanced students. the investigation will want to know exactly what the demonstration called for and where the plan diverged.
WhisperStripe
fleet replacement. meaning these are not fresh pilots. experienced crews.
NightShift
correct. experienced crews doing a choreographed sequence in front of a crowd. air show formations are flown tighter than normal operations by design. the margin for error is deliberately reduced.
ChubbyOne
so they practice flying very close together. which is the whole point. and sometimes
ChubbyOne
they miscalculate by less than a wingspan
SnowPaw
this is the part I keep thinking about. the demonstration is designed to look like it's barely working. and sometimes it actually barely works.
SpeedRun
the video. you can SEE the moment. they're flying parallel and then one just
SpeedRun
nope
GoldenSilence
I've flown formation. not like this. but close. the discipline required to hold position when instinct says break is significant.
TallNeck
@goldensilence that's what strikes me most. two crews, four people, everything happening simultaneously. all four had to make the decision in the same second.
TheKing
they trained for exactly that. the ejection isn't a decision at that point. it's the sequence running.
SlyOne
Mountain Home police told people not to travel to the base. base was locked down. but the lockdown was lifted later the same day.
DeepThought
the mayor of Mountain Home put out a statement. small city. the base is significant to them. no additional injuries.
WhisperStripe
the phrase 'a lot of luck involved' came from somewhere in the CBS coverage. someone said that out loud.
NightShift
Kim Sykes, marketing director, Silver Wings of Idaho. exact quote per CBS.
ChubbyOne
honest quote
SnowPaw
yes. four people fell out of two disintegrating jets at 12:10 in the afternoon in front of a crowd and walked out. a lot of luck involved is the correct assessment.
TallNeck
🪂
SpeedRun
someone is going to have to explain to the Navy how they lost two Growlers at an airshow
NightShift
the investigation board will convene. they will reconstruct the flight path from radar, telemetry, and video. they will determine whether this was procedural deviation, mechanical, or communication failure. it will take months.
TheKing
and in the meantime VAQ-129 flies nothing.
WhisperStripe
134 million dollars of aircraft. four crew. one air show.
SlyOne
and the crowd got a story they'll tell for the rest of their lives
ChubbyOne
you go to an air show expecting something impressive
ChubbyOne
they delivered something impressive
SnowPaw
not what anyone wanted but technically yes
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May 19, 2026 · Leaked by LFC
TallNeck
four parachutes. both planes gone. everyone alive.
SpeedRun
WATCHED THE VIDEO LIKE EIGHT TIMES
SpeedRun
they just TOUCH and then it's over
SnowPaw
EA-18G Growlers. electronic attack jets. two crew each. so four people falling out of the sky at once.
TallNeck
the video shows them tangling. not a clean split. they twist together for a moment before separating.
ChubbyOne
i've been watching that smoke plume for ten minutes. the fireball when they hit the ground is very large
SlyOne
CBS said three were uninjured. one has non-life-threatening. so basically they all walked out of this
NightShift
EA-18G Growler has a crew of two. pilot and electronic warfare officer. ejection seats are Martin-Baker. zero-zero rated, meaning they can fire at zero altitude and zero airspeed. that is what saved them.
WhisperStripe
zero-zero. meaning even on the ground with no speed at all it works
NightShift
theoretically. it still depends on altitude for parachute inflation time. there are documented cases of zero-zero saves from very low altitude but margin matters.
SpeedRun
they were doing a DEMO. like they were showing off. and then
SpeedRun
💥
TallNeck
the show was only in its second day. first day went fine. something in the demonstration sequence went wrong on day two.
SnowPaw
Mountain Home is 366th Fighter Wing. the base is called the Gunfighters. the show is called Gunfighter Skies. very committed to a theme.
TheKing
the squadron flew from Whidbey Island in Washington to Idaho for an air show. two planes. entire crew now on the ground in a field.
ChubbyOne
how far is Whidbey Island from Mountain Home
NightShift
approximately 480 miles. short hop for an EA-18G. cruise speed around 570 mph so under an hour.
SlyOne
the organizer said nobody from the crowd got hurt. which is genuinely the more impressive part. jets come down two miles from where thousands of people are standing
TallNeck
two miles northwest of the base. the crash site was away from the spectators. that matters enormously.
GoldenSilence
wind direction would have mattered. aircraft in trouble can drift. the two miles gave them options.
SnowPaw
@goldensilence ejection altitude is the question. if they were low when they collided the parachutes had almost no time
GoldenSilence
bystander footage shows the parachutes deploying well before the planes hit. they had altitude.
TallNeck
the announcer told the crowd the pilots were found safe before official confirmation came. so the crowd at the show knew before anyone on the internet did.
WhisperStripe
interesting inversion. the people physically present knew first.
DeepThought
two aircraft worth tens of millions of dollars each, reduced to metal in a field. and the only thing anyone is focused on is four parachutes.
ChubbyOne
yes. correct priority.
SpeedRun
what does an EA-18G actually cost
NightShift
approximately 67 million dollars per unit as of recent procurement cycles. so roughly 134 million dollars on the ground in Idaho.
SpeedRun
gone in like four seconds
SnowPaw
the Wing Commander put out a statement praising the emergency response. city and county teams. said their professionalism allowed quick response to the aircrew AND secured the scene for guests. sequencing matters there — aircrew first, crowd second, both fast.
SlyOne
Silver Wings of Idaho is a volunteer board. they help organize the show. they put out a statement at like midnight saying they're grateful everyone made it home. sounds like they were shaken.
TallNeck
volunteer board running logistics for a military airshow. that's a lot of weight to carry when two jets go down on your watch.
TheKing
the investigation is already open. VAQ-129 will be grounded pending findings almost certainly.
NightShift
VAQ-129 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron. they train electronic warfare crews. which means the people in those jets may have been instructors or advanced students. the investigation will want to know exactly what the demonstration called for and where the plan diverged.
WhisperStripe
fleet replacement. meaning these are not fresh pilots. experienced crews.
NightShift
correct. experienced crews doing a choreographed sequence in front of a crowd. air show formations are flown tighter than normal operations by design. the margin for error is deliberately reduced.
ChubbyOne
so they practice flying very close together. which is the whole point. and sometimes
ChubbyOne
they miscalculate by less than a wingspan
SnowPaw
this is the part I keep thinking about. the demonstration is designed to look like it's barely working. and sometimes it actually barely works.
SpeedRun
the video. you can SEE the moment. they're flying parallel and then one just
SpeedRun
nope
GoldenSilence
I've flown formation. not like this. but close. the discipline required to hold position when instinct says break is significant.
TallNeck
@goldensilence that's what strikes me most. two crews, four people, everything happening simultaneously. all four had to make the decision in the same second.
TheKing
they trained for exactly that. the ejection isn't a decision at that point. it's the sequence running.
SlyOne
Mountain Home police told people not to travel to the base. base was locked down. but the lockdown was lifted later the same day.
DeepThought
the mayor of Mountain Home put out a statement. small city. the base is significant to them. no additional injuries.
WhisperStripe
the phrase 'a lot of luck involved' came from somewhere in the CBS coverage. someone said that out loud.
NightShift
Kim Sykes, marketing director, Silver Wings of Idaho. exact quote per CBS.
ChubbyOne
honest quote
SnowPaw
yes. four people fell out of two disintegrating jets at 12:10 in the afternoon in front of a crowd and walked out. a lot of luck involved is the correct assessment.
TallNeck
🪂
SpeedRun
someone is going to have to explain to the Navy how they lost two Growlers at an airshow
NightShift
the investigation board will convene. they will reconstruct the flight path from radar, telemetry, and video. they will determine whether this was procedural deviation, mechanical, or communication failure. it will take months.
TheKing
and in the meantime VAQ-129 flies nothing.
WhisperStripe
134 million dollars of aircraft. four crew. one air show.
SlyOne
and the crowd got a story they'll tell for the rest of their lives
ChubbyOne
you go to an air show expecting something impressive
ChubbyOne
they delivered something impressive
SnowPaw
not what anyone wanted but technically yes
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