The US Navy lost $136 million worth of jets in an air show crash. Why risk it?

Krdo · May 21, 2026 · 889 words · By CNN Newssource

Public Relations vs. Actual Utility Fiscal responsibility Military Safety and Risk Management

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What to know about Public Relations vs. Actual Utility

The US Navy lost $136 million worth of jets in an air show crash.

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The US Navy lost $136 million worth of jets in an air show crash.

Why it matters

By Brad Lendon, CNN (CNN) — 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.

Common ground

“Those calls are almost always part of the noise surrounding an accident,” said John Venable, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a former US Air Force fighter pilot.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Public Relations vs. Actual Utility story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Production of the EA-18 jets has ended?
How does this story connect Public Relations vs. Actual Utility with Fiscal responsibility over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/news/2026/05/21/the-us-navy-lost-136-million-worth-of-jets-in-a…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “Production of the EA-18 jets has ended”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence describes the aircraft's history and replacement of the EA-6B, but does not explicitly state that production of the EA-18G has ended.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Pr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_EA-18G_Growler

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — EA Vancouver (formerly known as EA Burnaby, then EA Canada) is a Canadian video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened as Distinctive Software in January 19…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EA_Vancouver

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “the four air crew ejected successfully, with only one requiring hospital treatment for non-life threatening injuries”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm all four crew members ejected successfully and that only one required hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

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web search NEUTRAL — All four crewmembers successfully ejected from the jets; one sustained a non-life-threatening injury, while the other three were uninjured, and no spectator injuries were reported.
https://www.flyingmag.com/crews-eject-after-jets-crash-durin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Just one crew member was injured. Only one of the four crew members on the two planes was injured and was being treated at a hospital, Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Paci…
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/6d8cd-what-to-know-about-a-mida…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The site of four parachutes bursting open as the planes crashed could also be seen. Big Weekend Show co-host Jason Chaffetz reported the good news that all four crew members successfully ejected and w…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/watch-navy-fighter-jets-…

help

Claim 3: “according to a 2012 cost-benefit analysis by three Navy officers attending the service’s post-graduate school in California, the Blue Angels budget was about $98.6 million”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding a 2012 cost-benefit analysis by Navy post-graduate students concerning the Blue Angels' budget.

info

Claim 4: “Operating costs for jets in the F/A-18 family run about $20,000 an hour, according to a 2022 Boeing press release”

SINGLE SOURCE

No evidence in the provided search results mentions a 2022 Boeing press release or the specific $20,000 per hour operating cost for the F/A-18 family.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A Boeing Business Jet is a version of a Boeing jet airliner with modifications to serve the private, head of state, and corporate jet market. The first BBJ, based on the 737-700, rolled out on July 26…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Business_Jet

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — дата обращения 02.03.2022).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X1…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The cost of fighter jets fluctuates between tranches and can be influenced by external pressures. For example, Defense One reported in July 2024 that Lockheed would be ‘challenged’ to keep the costs o…
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/27553-top-10-most-expensi…

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Claim 5: “The jets were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington”

CORROBORATED

Three separate news sources confirm the jets were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) 'Vikings' based at Whidbey Island, Washington.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The AN/ALQ-218 is an American airborne electronic warfare radar warning receiver (RWR) system, found on Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler and Boeing EA-18G Growler aircraft. In accordance with the Joint …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ALQ-218

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engined, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft. Operated by both the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy between…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_EA-6B_Prowler

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 6: “the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds... have headlined dozens of events each year for decades”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found during the search to corroborate the frequency or duration of Blue Angels and Thunderbirds events.

schedule

Claim 7: “In 1994, a B-52 bomber crashed during a practice flight for an air show in Washington state”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 8: “Growlers cost around $68 million apiece, according to a 2021 Navy fact sheet”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web result mentions a public aircraft figure of $67 million, which is close to the claim's $68 million, but there is no specific confirmation of a '2021 Navy fact sheet' in the provided evidence to verify the exact figure and source.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are a series of American supersonic twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft derived from the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The Super Hor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_F/A-18E/F_Super_Hornet

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “The crash of two US Navy jets at an Idaho air show last weekend”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that two US Navy jets collided and crashed during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sandpoint is the largest city in and the county seat of Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022 census. Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest prod…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpoint,_Idaho

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — USS Idaho, hull number BB-42, a New Mexico-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. She was the third of three ships of her class. Built by the N…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Idaho_(BB-42)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is designated as the navy of the United States in the Constitution. With 290 combat vessels, it is the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 10: “in 2016, a Blue Angels pilot was killed in a crash before a show in Tennessee”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 11: “Boeing still has F/A-18s under construction”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms Boeing manufactures defense products and F/A-18s generally, but does not specifically confirm if F/A-18s are currently 'under construction' as a continuing production line.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Boeing Company (/ ˈboʊɪŋ / BO-ing) is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. [5] The company also p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover news and information about The Boeing Company, a leading global aerospace company that develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems.
https://www.boeing.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find the latest The Boeing Company (BA) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing.
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BA/?fr=sycsrp_catchall

schedule

Claim 12: “an Air Force major was killed during a practice session in 2018”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “Congress in 2024 required the Pentagon to perform a new cost-benefit study”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “For more than $98 million spent on the Blue Angels in a year, the Navy came away with less than $1 million in recruiting benefits”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 15: “Sunday’s accident during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base involved two Navy EA-18 Growlers”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly identify the aircraft as EA-18G Growlers and the event as the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base on Sunday, May 17.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 390th Electronic Combat Squadron (390 ECS) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/390th_Electronic_Combat_Squadr…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) is the United States Navy's only EA-18G Growler training squadron. Known as the "Vikings", they are a Fleet Replacement Squadron, or FRS, and are charged with …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAQ-129

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Electronic Attack Squadron 138 (VAQ-138), also known as the "Yellow Jackets", is an expeditionary EA-18G Growler squadron of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washingto…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAQ-138

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 16: “the infamous 1982 “Diamond Crash” in Arizona, when four Thunderbirds pilots were killed during a practice flight”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.