US Navy wreckage found, two crew members still missing after plane crash near Mount Rainier

Aerial search teams have located the wreckage of a U.S. Navy plane after a day of combing the mountains and forests east of Mount Rainier.

Two crew members piloting Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130’s EA-18G Growler remained missing Wednesday afternoon, more than 24 hours after crashing Tuesday afternoon into a mountainside during a routine training flight. The identities of the crew members have not been released and the cause of the crash is under investigation.

According to a press release from the Naval Air Forces, search efforts are ongoing.

An emergency operations center was established at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to coordinate relief efforts. The US Navy was preparing to deploy personnel to secure the remote crash site of the $67 million plane. It is not accessible to motorized vehicles.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a four-day flight restriction around Mount Aix in Yakima County “to provide a safe environment for the search.”

Mount Aix is ​​a 7,766-foot peak in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, 24 miles southeast of Mount Rainer.

“I am grateful for the great teamwork demonstrated by the NAS Whidbey Island squadrons – VAQ, VP, VQ, TOCRON 10 and SAR – as Team Whidbey continues to respond to our tragic mishap,” said Capt. David Ganci, U.S. commander -Pacific Fleet Electronic Attack Wing of the Fleet. “I am also grateful to the local law enforcement, emergency responders and tribal communities whose partnership was critical in planning our critical next steps to access the site.”

According to an earlier press release, multiple search and rescue teams, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, were launched from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island “to locate the crew and investigate the crash site.”

Flight operations continued Wednesday evening, departing from NAS Whidbey Island and searching the area 30 miles west of Yakima. During the search, crews faced mountainous terrain, cloudy weather and poor visibility.

Other units supporting the search included the US Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), Patrol Squadron (VP-46), NAS Whidbey Island Search and Rescue and the US Army 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The 92nd Air Refueling Wing’s 36th Rescue Squadron, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, also responded to support efforts, Lt. Sidney Walters, 92nd Air Refueling Wing public affairs chief.

According to the Naval Air Forces, search crews found the crash site shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, about 21 hours after the plane went down.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The VAQ-130, also known as “Zappers,” is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and recently completed a combat mission on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, according to the U.S. Navy.

The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with an electronic warfare suite, according to the US Navy website. All EA-18G squadrons are based at NAS Whidbey Island, with the exception of VAQ-141, which is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

According to the US Navy, the first Growler test aircraft entered production in 2004 and made its first flight in 2006.

In 2010, three squadrons, VAQ-132, 141 and 138, transitioned to the Growler. Since then, the Growler has been used around the globe.

In 2013, a U.S. Navy EA-6B Prowler based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island crashed into a farm field west of Harrington during a routine training flight, killing three pilots on board. An investigation into the crash concluded that pilot error was the cause.