A search is underway for two Navy crew members who were onboard the EA-18G Growler aircraft that crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday.
The aircraft took off from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island during a routine training flight and crashed at around 3:23 p.m., according to a news release from the air station.
The Growler is from Electronic Attack Squadron 130, also known as the “Zappers,” the release said.
“The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite,” the release said. “All EA-18G squadrons are stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, with the exception of one squadron (VAQ-141) attached to CVW-5, Forward Deployed Naval Force, based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.”
Search-and-rescue crews, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter from NAS Whidbey Island, searched for the crew members and examined the crash scene. The status of the crew members was unknown as of 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the release said.
There have been no updates as of Wednesday morning, according to a NASWI spokesperson. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
11:25 a.m. update: The Navy is working with Yakima County tribal and local authorities to search for the Growler aircraft, according to an update from Naval Air Forces
The crew and the wreckage has not been located as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the release said.
The Navy conducted aerial operations throughout the night as it searched in the area 30 miles west of Yakima. As the search continues, crews are facing mountainous terrain, cloudy weather and low visibility, the release said.
“Additional units supporting search and rescue include: U.S. Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), Patrol Squadron (VP-46), NAS Whidbey Island Search and Rescue, and U.S. Army 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” the release said.
The cause of crash is still being investigated.
5:05 p.m. update: The Navy released another update about 4:50 p.m.
“Just after 12:30 p.m. PDT, aerial search crews located the wreckage of the EA-18G Growler that crashed on Oct. 15. The crash site rests on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier,” according to a news release.
The two crew members remain missing.
“An Emergency Operations Center has been established on NAS Whidbey Island to coordinate response efforts, and the U.S. Navy is making preparations to deploy personnel to secure the remote area that is not accessible by motorized vehicles,” the news release said.
