All four pilots ejected successfully and remained stable
En la tarde del domingo, dos aviones de guerra electrónica de la Marina de los Estados Unidos chocaron en pleno vuelo sobre Mountain Home Air Force Base en Idaho, durante una demostración acrobática ante el público del Gunfighter Skies Air Show. Los cuatro aviadores a bordo eyectaron con éxito y permanecen en condición estable, sin víctimas fatales. El incidente, ocurrido a las 12:10 del mediodía, recuerda que incluso los despliegues más ensayados de destreza humana llevan consigo la posibilidad del error, y que la preparación para lo inesperado puede ser tan vital como la habilidad misma.
- Dos cazas EA-18G Growler chocaron en el aire frente a una multitud reunida para presenciar precisión y control, convirtiendo el espectáculo en emergencia en cuestión de segundos.
- Los cuatro pilotos eyectaron exitosamente de las aeronaves en caída, y el personal médico desplegado en el evento les brindó atención inmediata en tierra.
- A las 12:30 p.m., apenas veinte minutos después del impacto, las autoridades de la base cerraron el evento y movilizaron servicios de emergencia para asegurar el sitio del accidente.
- Se pidió a los espectadores que permanecieran en zonas designadas para facilitar el movimiento de vehículos de rescate, transformando al público en parte involuntaria de la respuesta.
- La Marina confirmó que todos los tripulantes están estables y que se ha iniciado una investigación formal, aunque las causas del choque permanecen sin revelar.
El domingo por la tarde, lo que debía ser una jornada de exhibición aérea en Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, se convirtió en una emergencia en cuestión de segundos. Durante el segundo día del Gunfighter Skies Air Show, dos aviones EA-18G Growler de la Marina de los Estados Unidos chocaron en pleno vuelo mientras ejecutaban una demostración acrobática. Los restos de las aeronaves cayeron aproximadamente a tres kilómetros al noroeste de la base.
Las aeronaves pertenecían al Escuadrón de Ataque Electrónico 129, con base en Whidbey Island, Washington. A bordo viajaban cuatro aviadores, dos por avión. Cuando se produjo la colisión, los cuatro eyectaron con éxito y recibieron atención inmediata del personal médico presente en el evento. A las 12:30 p.m., la base anunció el cierre del espacio aéreo y la cancelación de las actividades restantes del día.
La comandante Amelia Umayam, portavoz de la Flota del Pacífico de la Marina, confirmó la secuencia de hechos y el estado estable de los cuatro tripulantes. No se reportaron víctimas fatales. Las autoridades pidieron a los espectadores que permanecieran en las zonas de aterrizaje para permitir el libre movimiento de los vehículos de emergencia mientras se aseguraba el sitio del accidente.
La Marina no reveló de inmediato las causas de la colisión, pero confirmó el inicio de una investigación formal. En el balance inmediato, los sistemas de eyección funcionaron como estaban diseñados, y la respuesta de emergencia logró su objetivo más urgente: mantener a todos con vida.
Sunday afternoon at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho turned from spectacle to emergency in seconds. Two Navy jets collided mid-air during an aerobatic demonstration, their wreckage falling to earth about two miles northwest of the base. It happened at 12:10 p.m., on the second day of the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, in front of an audience that had come to watch precision flying.
The aircraft were EA-18G Growlers, electronic warfare jets assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington. Four aviators were aboard—two per plane, executing what should have been a routine demonstration. When the jets struck each other, all four pilots ejected successfully from their aircraft. Medical personnel stationed at the air show provided immediate care.
Base officials announced the closure at 12:30 p.m., roughly twenty minutes after impact. Emergency services mobilized to secure the crash site and begin the work of understanding what went wrong. Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, confirmed the sequence of events and the successful ejections. The remaining air show events scheduled for that day were canceled.
Base leadership asked spectators already on the grounds to remain in the landing zone area, clearing space for emergency vehicles to move freely and for responders to continue securing the incident site. The request was framed as temporary—a necessary pause in an otherwise planned day.
All four crew members were reported stable. No fatalities were announced. The Navy did not immediately disclose the cause of the collision, only that an investigation had begun. For the pilots, the ejection seats had worked as designed. For the base and the air show organizers, the day that had promised controlled displays of military capability had instead become a test of emergency response—one that, at least in the immediate aftermath, appeared to have succeeded in keeping everyone alive.
Citas Notables
The crew involved in the incident is stable in terms of health condition— Mountain Home Air Force Base officials
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would two experienced Navy pilots collide during a demonstration they'd presumably practiced many times?
That's the question the investigation will try to answer. These are trained aviators flying sophisticated jets. Collisions at air shows are rare precisely because of that training and because the maneuvers are choreographed. Something broke that pattern.
What does an EA-18G do, and why were they flying together?
They're electronic warfare aircraft—they jam enemy radar and communications. Flying them in formation during a demo shows the public what the Navy does. It's also a way to showcase the platform to potential observers, maybe other military leaders.
The pilots ejected successfully. How much does that matter in a story like this?
It matters completely. Without working ejection seats, this becomes a very different story—one with fatalities, with grieving families, with a very different national conversation. The fact that all four walked away is the story.
What happens now?
The Navy investigates. They'll look at radio communications, weather, the exact flight path, mechanical systems, human factors. It could take weeks or months. Meanwhile, air shows will continue elsewhere, but this one is done for the day.