EVERETT — The U.S. Navy, along with local law enforcement and other agencies, reached the site Friday where a Navy EA-18G Growler crashed near Mount Rainier during a routine training flight.
At 3:23 p.m., the Boeing-made aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 130 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island crashed about 30 miles west of Yakima in a remote, steep and heavily-wooded area. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
“Personnel on site are methodically searching an expansive area, evaluating debris and searching for information in the snow-covered, wilderness environment,” according to an update posted Friday evening on Facebook.
As the search entered its fourth day, the fate of the two crew members remained unknown and their identities had not been released.
“Our priority is to locate our two aviators as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Capt. David Ganci, commander of the Navy’s Electronic Attack Wing, in an earlier social media post. “Adhering to Dept. of Defense procedure, we cannot identify or confirm the names of aircrew involved in a mishap until 24-hours after their next of kin have been notified of their status. Please remain patient and limit speculation about the incident. That is one of the best ways we can respect the privacy of the loved ones who are impacted by this tragic event.”
Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord joined search and rescue assets already in place to locate the crew and examine the crash site. The special forces group offers specialized mountaineering, high-angle rescue, medical and technical communication skills needed to navigate the mountainous terrain.
The snow forecast for the search area was expected to turn to rain Friday night.
The squadron, known as VAQ-130 or the “Zappers,” are based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island north of Oak Harbor and recently completed a combat deployment on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
While deployed, the squadron carried out operations in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden “to maintain the freedom of navigation in international waterways,” the Navy said in a press release in July.
Michael Henneke: 425-339-3431; michael.henneke@heraldnet.com; X: @ihenpecked.
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