A dramatic midair collision cut short a popular military air show but miraculously ended with no fatalities.
Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets crashed after touching wingtips during an aerial performance at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, located at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
All four crew members aboard the two aircraft managed to safely eject before the planes plummeted to the ground and exploded into a fireball.
Base officials confirmed the crew members are in stable condition and no one on the ground was injured.
Spectators watched in shock as the aircraft spun together. Spectator Shane Ogden who captured the crash on video said, “I was just filming thinking they were going to split apart and that happened and I filmed the rest.”
The military base was immediately placed on lockdown and the rest of the air show was canceled.
Event organizer Kim Sykes reassured the public, stating, “Everyone is safe and I think that’s the most important thing.”
Aviation experts noted that surviving a midair collision is rare, suggesting the unique way the planes struck each other gave the crew time to escape.
The crash remains under investigation.
