The U.S. Navy announced on Sunday that two crew members who went missing after a fighter jet crashed in rugged terrain in Washington state during a routine training mission have been pronounced dead.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island reported that the Electronic Attack Squadron’s EA-18G Growler plane crashed Tuesday afternoon east of Mount Rainier. In an attempt to locate the crew and accident site, search teams—including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter—launched from the air station.
According to officials, the wreckage was discovered Wednesday by an aerial crew resting at roughly 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a remote, steep, and heavily forested area east of Mount Rainier.
Army Special Forces soldiers trained in mountaineering, high-angle rescue, and technical communications were brought in to reach the wreckage.
The Navy stated in a statement Sunday that search and rescue operations have changed into a long-term salvage and recovery operation while the reason of the crash is still being examined, and that the names of the aviators would not be made public until a day after their next of kin have been informed.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of the aviators’ Electronic Attack Squadron stated. “Our priority right now is taking care of the families of our fallen aviators. … We are grateful for the ongoing teamwork to safely recover the deceased.”
The commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Electronic Attack Wing, Capt. David Ganci, stated Thursday that finding the missing crew members “as quickly and as safely as possible” had been the main priority.
Like the F/A-18F Super Hornet, the EA-18G Growler is equipped with advanced electronic warfare equipment. Whidbey Island serves as the home base for the majority of Growler squadrons. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan is home to one squadron.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is where the “Zappers” were most recently deployed. The search was conducted close to Mount Rainier, a massive active volcano that is always covered in glaciers and snowfields.
In 2008, the Growler’s first production was delivered to Whidbey Island.
According to the Navy, the Growler has supported significant operations all around the world in the last 15 years. An electronics operator sits behind the pilot, who is seated in front of the aircraft.
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“The EA-18G Growler aircraft we fly represents the most advanced technology in airborne Electronic Attack and stands as the Navy’s first line of defense in hostile environments,” the Navy stated on its website. The approximate cost of each aircraft is $67 million.
Exercises with military aircraft can be risky and occasionally lead to collisions, injuries, and fatalities.
After the pilot landed in New Mexico to refuel, an F-35 fighter plane traveling from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles crashed in May.
