The U.S. Navy is actively searching for two aviators following a plane crash during a routine training mission on Wednesday. An EA-18G Growler jet, part of the Electronic Attack Squadron, went down east of Mount Rainier around 3:23 p.m. on Tuesday, according to officials at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Search operations, which include a Navy MH-60S helicopter, have been initiated from NAS Whidbey Island to locate the missing crew members and investigate the crash site. Currently, Navy officials have not confirmed whether the aviators were able to eject before the incident, as the investigation remains ongoing.
The EA-18G Growler is an advanced electronic warfare aircraft, comparable to the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Most of these jets are stationed at Whidbey Island, with one squadron also operating out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan. Recently, the “Zappers” were deployed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Search efforts are taking place in inclement weather near Mount Rainier, an active volcano known for its year-round snowfields and glaciers. The first production unit of the Growler was delivered to Whidbey Island in 2008, and over the past 15 years, it has supported various global military operations. The aircraft features a seating arrangement for a pilot in front and an electronics officer in the rear.
The Navy describes the EA-18G Growler as representing cutting-edge technology in airborne electronic warfare, serving as the Navy’s frontline defense in hostile regions. Each aircraft has an estimated cost of around $67 million.
Training exercises involving military aircraft are inherently risky, occasionally leading to crashes, injuries, or fatalities. In a separate incident in May, an F-35 fighter jet crashed during a refueling stop in New Mexico, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot, who was the sole occupant. Additionally, last year, a tragic accident claimed the lives of eight U.S. Air Force special operations members when a CV-22B Osprey went down off the coast of Japan.
