Two Navy EA-18G Growler crew members missing after crash

Editor’s note: This story was updated Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, to reflect the Navy found the jet wreckage Wednesday.

Two crew members from a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jet based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, are missing after the aircraft crashed Tuesday.

The fighter jet, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130, crashed east of Mount Rainier at approximately 3:20 p.m. local time while it conducted a routine training flight, according to the Navy.

“Multiple search and rescue assets, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, launched from NAS Whidbey Island to locate the crew and examine the crash site,” the Navy said in a statement. “As of 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, the status of the two crew members remains unknown.”

The Navy said Wednesday evening that while aerial search crews found the wreckage on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier, search and rescue teams have not found the crew members.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. No additional details were provided.

Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers,” completed a deployment to the Middle East with Carrier Air Wing 3 embarked on the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in July.

Whidbey Island is the home to most EA-18G squadrons. The aircraft is a variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and features an electronic warfare suite.