The U.S. Navy announced Sunday that two crew members, who had been missing after a fighter plane crashed in Washington State’s mountainous terrain during a routine flight training, have now been declared dead.
According to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, the EA-18G Growler jet of the Electronic Attack Squadron was involved in a crash east of Mount Rainier Tuesday afternoon. The air station launched search teams, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, to try and find the crew.
Army Special Forces soldiers with training in high-angle rescue, technical communications, and mountaineering were brought in to find the wreckage. The wreckage was found Wednesday by a crew of aerial workers resting in an area that is steep, remote, and heavily forested east of Mount Rainier.
The Navy announced in a Sunday statement that the names of the aviators will not be released until the next of kin has been notified. It also noted that the search and rescue effort had shifted to a long-term salvage operation and recovery, as the cause of this crash is still under investigation.
“It’s with a heavy mind that we share in the loss of our beloved Zappers,” Cmdr. Timothy Warburton is the commanding officer for the Electronic Attack Squadron of Aviators. Our priority is to take care of the families. … We appreciate the teamwork that continues to be done to recover the dead safely.
Captain David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said that finding missing crew members as quickly and safely as possible was a top priority. David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing (U.S. Pacific Fleet), said Thursday.
The EA-18G Growler has advanced electronic warfare equipment and is similar to the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The majority of Growler squadrons are based on Whidbey Island. One squadron resides at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.
The “Zappers” were recently deployed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The search was conducted near Mount Rainier. This active volcano is covered in snowfields, glaciers, and ice all year round.
In 2008, the first Growler production was delivered to Whidbey Island. The Navy reported that the Growler supported major operations around the world in the last 15 years. The aircraft has a pilot sitting in the front, and an electronics operator sitting behind.
The Navy stated on its website that “the EA-18G Growler we fly represents most advanced technology for airborne Electronic Attack, and stands as our first line of defense in hostile environments.” Each aircraft costs approximately $67 million.
The training of military aircraft can be hazardous and lead to accidents, injuries, and even deaths.
A F-35 fighter plane on its way to Edwards Air Force Base in Los Angeles from Texas crashed in May after the pilot refueled it at a New Mexico station. In that case, the pilot was the sole person aboard and was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
Eight U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command servicemen were killed last year when the CV-22B Osprey they were in crashed near the coast of Japan.
