The US Navy on Sunday announced that the two crew members were found dead after they went missing following their EA-18G Growler jet crashed in the mountainous region of Washington during a routine training flight.
The jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, according to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Search teams, including a US Navy MH-60S helicopter, were immediately dispatched from NAS Whidbey Island to locate the crew and the crash site. The wreckage was discovered on Wednesday by an aerial crew at an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a remote, steep, and densely wooded area east of Mount Rainier. Army Special Forces soldiers with expertise in mountaineering, high-angle rescue, and technical communications were brought in to access the crash site.
Captain David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing, US Pacific Fleet, emphasized on Thursday that their priority had been to locate the missing crew members “as quickly and as safely as possible.”
The Navy said in a press release on Sunday that the names of the aviators will not be disclosed until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
The search and rescue efforts have now transitioned into a long-term salvage and recovery operation, while the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Commander Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of the aviators’ Electronic Attack Squadron, expressed his sorrow, saying, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers.”
“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,” he added.
The EA-18G Growler, similar to the F/A-18F Super Hornet, is equipped with advanced electronic warfare devices.
Most Growler squadrons are based at Whidbey Island, with one squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The “Zappers” had recently been deployed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Military aircraft training exercises and travel can be risky and occasionally result in crashes, injuries, and fatalities. In May, an F-35 fighter jet crashed in New Mexico while en route from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles, seriously injuring the pilot. Last year, eight US Air Force Special Operations Command service members lost their lives when their CV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan.
