Two EA-18G Growlers crashed in mid-air during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho Wednesday, and four crew members ejected, Reuters reported. Statistics show that this is the“Growler” in the last 3 years, the third major crash.
Four pilots ejected after the two planes collided in mid-air Monday. (warzone.com)
American“Power” website“War zone” channel said on the 17th that at the time of the incident, the two“Growlers” were performing an air show. Live video shows, one of the Growlers approached the other from behind and the two collided. “Surprisingly, the two aircraft appeared to be entwined and spinning toward the ground.” The four crew members can be seen in the video ejecting to escape, the two growlers crashed to the ground and burst into flames before the crew’s parachutes floated down to the ground. The crash sparked the fire, but it was later brought under control, according to a mountain home air force base spokesman. Then the local police announced the cancellation of the entire air show, and warned the public to avoid going to the base.
The Aviationist said The Pentagon was investigating The cause of The crash. The two growlers involved in the midair collision were from the U. S. Navy’s Viking Squadron (Vaq-129) , which is responsible for training all Growler pilots. Currently the U.S. Navy’s only professional electronic attack aircraft, the Growler is a modified Super Hornet carrier-based fighter that shares 90 percent of its airframe with the Super Hornet, while retaining air combat capability, it has outstanding electronic warfare capabilities. The aircraft adopts a two-seat configuration, with the pilot in the front seat and the electronic warfare operator in the back seat. To demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities, the U.S. Navy set up a Growler demonstration team in 2020 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, with members and aircraft from Viking squadrons.
It is noteworthy that serious accidents have frequently occurred with the Growler electronic attack aircraft in recent years. According to the Pentagon, accidents that cause more than $2 million in damage or cause casualties are classified as the most serious Class A accidents. On June 6,2023, three US growlers were hit by lightning during a flight training exercise in southern Japan. Although they did not crash, they were classified as Class A accidents.
On October 15,2024, a Growler crashed in the mountains east of Mount Rainier while on a training mission in Washington State. The aircraft was completely destroyed and two pilots were killed. On February 12,2025, a Growler crashed into San Diego Bay after an unsuccessful attempt to land during routine training. Two pilots ejected to escape and the aircraft was completely damaged. The cause of the two crashes is still under investigation. (Chen Shan)