LAGOS MAY 18TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Two military jets collided during an air show at an Air Force base in Idaho on Sunday, prompting their pilots to eject as the planes fell to the ground and crashed in a fiery explosion.
“Emergency responders are on the scene,” the Mountain Home Air Force Base’s 366th Fighter Wing wrote on Facebook. “An investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available.”
“All four of the air crew successfully ejected and they are being evaluated by medical personnel,” Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, told The Independent in a statement. “First responders are on the scene.”
The crash involved two U.S. Navy E/A-18G aircraft assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington, the official said.
The incident is under investigation.
Video of the crash shows two grey jets tangling mid-air, then parachutes opening as their pilots eject.
Officials say the crews parachuted to safety and are in stable condition. The base locked down the site as authorities investigate the collision and review air show safety procedures.
The jets then fall to the ground and explode upon impact.
The air show was canceled, according to the Mountain Home Police Department.
“Please DO NOT travel to or attempt to access Mountain Home Air Force Base as a spectator, as the event will no longer be taking place,” the department wrote in a post on Facebook.
“We saw the smoke and fireball,” attendee David Katz told Fox News Digital. “Apparently they collided there. One of the planes was impacted and started burning in the air.”
“Fire crews are flying by us right now,” he added.
The crash did not occur at the base itself, according to Kim Sykes, marketing director with Silver Wings of Idaho, which helped to plan the air show, told Idaho’s CBS 2 Idaho. The collision occurred about two miles northwest of the facility.
Air show guests were asked to remain on the base in the flightline area to allow emergency responders to access the crash site.
“We are working on a plan to safely allow guests to exist the base as soon as possible,” the 366th wrote on Facebook.
The base, which is home to roughly 8,600 service members and their families, was briefly locked down on Sunday.
The jets involved are part of the Navy’s “first line of defense in hostile environments,” according to its website.
Independent
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