Horror moment Navy jets collide midair in front of terrified crowd

A terrifying mid-air crash involving two US Navy jets at a public airshow has been caught on camera.

On Sunday (17 April), two aircraft taking part in the Gunfighter Skies air show in Idaho slammed into each other while thousands of attendees watched on in horror.

Heart-stopping footage from the event captured the moment the two aircraft, reported to be Boeing EA-18G Growlers, collided mid-air shortly after midday and tumbled to the ground before exploding into a fireball.

All four crew members are understood to have ejected from the aircraft during the collision, with their parachutes visible in the footage as they descended above plumes of black smoke.

A report from the Idaho Statesman has since confirmed the pilots were all in a 'stable condition' after the crash.

"We had four good parachutes," the announcer told anxious attendees who witnessed the crash, which occurred at Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base.

"The crews were able to eject. They’re located one mile south of where the smoke is. The parachutes came down.

"Crash fire rescue and various other emergency services are on their way to the pilots and crew. There were four good parachutes."

Watch the moment in the clip below:

A subsequent update from the announcer confirmed that all four crew members had been found safe, adding: "That is always a positive in our world. If you are so inclined to take the time now to say a prayer."

Crowds were asked to remain on the airbase in order for first responders to get access to the scene, with one witness describing the aftermath to NBC News.

I heard someone next to me say, 'We are down.' I turned around and saw four parachutes coming down, then black smoke appeared," the individual told the outlet, adding that the atmosphere on the base was 'very calm, controlled and well-managed' despite the crash.

"First and foremost, we are incredibly thankful that everyone involved in today’s incident is safe," Col. David Gunter, 366th Fighter Wing commander, later said in a statement.

"The extraordinary professionalism of our emergency response teams, including the city and county, allowed for quick response to the aircrew as well as securing the scene to ensure the safety of our guests, performers and community."

This isn't the first time tragedy has occurred at the Gunfighter Skies air show, with The Guardian reporting that a hang glider tragically lost their life during the 2018 event, while a 2003 crash saw a Thunderbirds aircraft collide while attempting a manoeuvre.

Fortunately, the pilot was able to steer the aircraft away from the crowd before safely ejecting himself.