Published • loading... • Updated
The US Navy Lost $136 Million Worth of Jets in an Air Show Crash. Why Risk It?
The $136 million aircraft were destroyed, and the four crew members ejected successfully, with one treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
- On Sunday, two Navy EA-18 Growlers collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. All four aircrew members ejected successfully, with only one requiring hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
- Despite inherent risks, the military views air show demonstrations as valuable for recruiting and public affairs. John Venable, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said demonstrations provide "connective tissue" between communities and military services.
- Deadly accidents have occurred during practice flights, including the 1982 'Diamond Crash' in Arizona when four Thunderbirds pilots were killed, and a 1994 B-52 bomber crash. A 2012 study found the Navy's Blue Angels program yielded a negative 99% return on investment.
- The jets belonged to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington, crewed by the Growler Airshow Team. Venable noted the military uses smaller demonstration teams like the Growlers to serve communities unable to access major jet teams.
- Congress required the Pentagon to perform a new cost-benefit study in 2024, but the military has not yet released public figures. The crash raises questions about whether the Pentagon should risk multimillion-dollar warplanes and crews for entertainment purposes.
Insights by Ground AI
39 Articles
39 Articles
kreiszeitung.deReposted by 
mannheim24.de
mannheim24.de"Looks Out for Pilot Problem: Drama at Flight Show in the USA – Navy Fighter Jets Collide in the Air
Two U.S. Navy fighter jets meet at a flight show in Idaho. Four crew members are rescued by a slingshot seat.
The US Navy lost $136 million worth of jets in an air show crash. Why risk it?
The crash of two US Navy jets at an Idaho air show last weekend is raising questions about why the Pentagon risks multimillion-dollar warplanes – and their crews – for entertainment.
·Atlanta, United States
Read Full Article
The event was held in Idaho, United States. It was the same attendees who shared videos of the tragedy; the time was observed when the planes were falling while four parachutes were opening in the sky. They were the four occupants who managed to leave before the aircraft crashed.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources39
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center35Last UpdatedBias Distribution92% Center
Bias Distribution
- 92% of the sources are Center
92% Center
C 92%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
