Friday marks the fourth day of search efforts for two aviators whose Navy EA-18G Growler crashed on a routine training flight Tuesday near Mount Rainier.
Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
The jet crashed near White Pass at about 3:23 p.m. Tuesday, the Navy said. Aerial search crews found the wreckage Wednesday afternoon but were up against “mountainous terrain, cloudy weather, and low visibility,” according to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
The wreckage rests at about 6,000 feet altitude “in a remote, steep and heavily-wooded area east of Mount Rainier,” the Navy said in a statement Thursday evening.
As of Thursday evening, the status of the two aviators remained unknown. Their identities had not been released, and the crash remained under investigation.
“Our priority is to locate our two aviators as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Capt. David Ganci, commanding officer of Electronic Attack Wing, in the Navy’s statement Thursday evening. “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.”
An emergency operations center has been established on Whidbey Island, according to a statement.
The Navy said it was preparing Wednesday to send personnel into rugged terrain that wasn’t accessible by motor vehicle.
Who is helping with the search?
Flight radar suggested a search spanned more than 40 miles from north to south, according to data from Flightradar24, which tracks flights. The exact location of the wreckage hadn’t been released.
Several law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and Yakima County tribal and local authorities, helped with the ongoing search efforts, the naval air station reported in a Facebook post.
“I am thankful for the tremendous teamwork displayed by the NAS Whidbey Island squadrons … as Team Whidbey continues to respond to our tragic mishap,” Ganci said in a statement Wednesday evening. “I am also grateful to local law enforcement, responders, and tribal communities whose partnership has been essential in planning our critical next steps for access to the site.”
Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are assisting in the search, the Navy said Thursday evening. Those soldiers have training in specialized mountaineering and high-angle rescue, Navy said.
An EA-18G growler pilot has extensive annual training in using ejection seats and parachutes, said Lt. Cmdr. Hadley Sulpizio, aviation mission survivability officer and director of Aviation Survival Training Center Patuxent River in Maryland.
The aviators, if they were able to eject, would have had an MK-124 with seven flares, URT-140 radio beacon, eight-hour chemical light, survival kit, a knife, shroud cutter, strobe, flashlight, medical kit, signaling mirror and whistle to aid the search and rescue crews.
Once they feel comfortable with the area, those in the search and rescue crews’ MH-60S helicopter would begin a contour search, snaking back and forth, as low as possible. The aircraft would operate from no higher than 50 feet above the terrain, moving slowly at 50 to 90 mph.
The pilots would conduct a visual search, using their eyes and the searchlight underneath the helicopter to see the reflective tape on an aviator’s helmet or signaling mirror.
What were weather conditions like at the time of the crash?
Colby Goatley, a meteorologist for National Weather Service Pendleton, which covers Mount Rainier and surrounding areas, said White Pass saw breezes with light rain Tuesday afternoon.
As the search continued Thursday, NWS predicted rain and snow around White Pass that will last into Friday.
What’s a Growler?
The EA-18G Growlers have often been in the news because, as the name suggests, they’re incredibly loud as they fly overhead, especially on the north end of Whidbey Island. The pilots also get flight hours by rumbling through the remote wilderness of the Cascade Range.
Built by Boeing, the aircraft is a variant within the F/A-18 Super Hornet family, according to the U.S. Navy website. Its specialty is electronic warfare — using radio waves to jam or disrupt enemy equipment — though the jets are sometimes equipped with missiles. Each jet costs $67 million and carries two crew members: a pilot and an electronic-warfare officer.
What do we know about the crew?
Identities of the aviators haven’t been released. Based in Oak Harbor, the pair belonged to Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers.” Nearly all of the Navy’s Growler squadrons are based at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station near Oak Harbor.
