The U.S. Navy announced Sunday that two crew members were killed when their fighter jet crashed in the mountains of Washington during a routine training flight.
An EA-18G Growler fighter jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier Tuesday afternoon, Navy officials said. A search team, including a US Navy MH-60S helicopter, departed from the airfield and attempted to search the crew and crash site.
Special forces soldiers trained in mountaineering, high-angle rescue, and technical communications were brought in to reach the wreckage. The wreckage was located Wednesday by an air crew resting at about 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a rugged, forested area to the east. Officials said it was the summit of Mount Rainier.
The Navy said in a statement Sunday that the airman’s name will not be released until the next day after next of kin has been notified, adding that search and rescue operations have transitioned into a lengthy salvage and recovery operation. The crash is still under investigation.
“We are sorry to hear about the loss of our two beloved Zappers,” said Timothy Warburton, Airman Electronic Attack Squadron commander.
“Our priority now is to care for the families of the deceased airmen. We appreciate the continued teamwork to safely recover the deceased.”
Col. David Ganshi, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Electronic Attack Wing, said Thursday that his top priority was to find the missing crew members “as quickly and safely as possible.”
The search took place near Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano covered year-round by snowfields and glaciers.
Military aircraft training exercises can be dangerous and can sometimes result in crashes, injuries, and death.
In May, an F-35 fighter jet en route from Texas to Edwards Air Base near Los Angeles crashed after the pilot stopped in New Mexico to refuel. The pilot was the only person on board the plane and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Last year, eight U.S. Air Force members were killed when their CV-22B Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan.
