Four US Navy pilots survived what experts described as an extraordinarily rare mid-air disaster after two fighter jets collided during an air show in Idaho, with dramatic footage showing the crews ejecting moments before the aircraft exploded on impact.The collision happened on Sunday during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho. Videos filmed by spectators showed the two EA-18G Growler jets flying close together before appearing to make contact and spiralling towards the ground while still tangled together. Seconds later, four parachutes opened in the sky as the crew members safely ejected. The aircraft then crashed near the base in a huge fireball, sending thick smoke into the air. Officials later confirmed that all four crew members were in stable condition and nobody on the ground was injured.Also read: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide mid-air during Idaho air show in USThe aircraft involved belonged to the US Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington. Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet, said the jets were performing an aerial demonstration when the crash occurred. The cause remains under investigation.Aviation experts said the way the aircraft collided may have given the crews a rare opportunity to escape. Former aviation safety investigator Jeff Guzzetti said pilots involved in mid-air collisions often do not have enough time to eject safely.“It’s really striking to see,” Guzzetti told news agency AP. “It looks like they struck each other in a very unique fashion to cause them to remain intact and kind of stick to each other and that very well could have saved them.”Videos circulating online appeared to show the two jets descending together briefly before the crews ejected. Guzzetti suggested the collision may have happened in a way that kept both aircraft controllable for a few extra moments, allowing the aviators to react.
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Another aviation safety expert, John Cox, said air show flying demands extreme precision. “Air show flying is demanding. It has very little tolerance,” he said. “The people who do it are very good and it’s a small margin for error. I’m glad everybody was able to get out.”The base was immediately placed under lockdown following the crash and the remainder of the two-day event was cancelled. Emergency responders rushed to the scene as spectators were asked to leave the area.
