Navy identifies 2 crew members killed in Washington state jet crash

U.S. Naval officials, connected Monday, identified nan 2 unit members who died past week successful a Navy pitchy clang adjacent Mount Rainier successful Washington state, arsenic 2 31-year-old aviators from California.

The combatant pitchy pilots were identified arsenic Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, a Naval Flight Officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, a Naval Aviator.

Evans and Wileman died erstwhile their EA-18G Growler pitchy from nan Electronic Attack Squadron retired of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station collapsed connected a mountainside eastbound of Mount Rainier connected Tuesday afternoon.

The wreckage of nan pitchy was located resting astir 6,000 feet up successful a remote, steep and heavily-wooded area, and until Sunday, nan position of nan unit remained a enigma without a tract appraisal of nan debris area.

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An EA-18G Growler takes disconnected from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island during an workout successful 2016. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)

Army Special Forces soldiers trained successful mountaineering, high-angle rescue, aesculapian and method connection skills needed to navigate nan difficult terrain assisted pinch efforts to find nan missing unit members arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

Once Evans and Wileman were located connected Sunday, efforts switched from hunt and rescue efforts to betterment operations.

Evans, who hailed from Palmdale, California, made history arsenic portion of nan first-ever all-female squad to alert complete a Super Bowl connected Feb. 12, 2023, celebrating 50 years of women flying successful nan Navy, Navy spokesperson Steve Fiebing told The Associated Press.

NAVY CONFIRMS DEATH OF CREW AFTER JET CRASHES NEAR MOUNT RAINIER IN WASHINGTON

Lt. Commander Lyndsay Evans, a Naval Flight Officer. (U.S. Navy via AP)

Women first began entering nan U.S. Navy formation schoolhouse successful 1973.

"I joined nan Navy to service my country," Evans told nan Los Angeles Times successful an article astir nan flyover successful 2023. "Serving successful nan Navy intends being portion of thing bigger than yourself."

Wileman was commissioned into nan Navy successful 2018 and joined nan "Zapper" squadron based retired of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island successful 2021. During her career, she earned nan National Defense Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon.

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Lt. Serena Wileman, a Naval Aviator. (U.S. Navy via AP)

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., issued a connection connected nan deaths of Evans and Wileman.

"I americium heartbroken to study astir nan passing of Lt. Commander Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman," Murray wrote connected X. "I americium truthful proud of some of these women's trailblazing careers—their work has cleared a way for nan women who will travel aft them."

The Navy said nan investigation into nan cause of nan crash is ongoing.

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A U.S. Navy pickup motortruck is seen successful a parking batch adjacent Pear Butte, Yakima County, Thursday, arsenic nan hunt continues for 2 combatant pilots whose EA-18G Growler pitchy collapsed eastbound of Mount Rainier, Wash. (Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times via AP)

The EA-18G is simply a version of nan F/A-18 family of aircraft, outfitted pinch a blase physics warfare suite that is utilized for tactical jamming and physics protection, according to nan Navy’s website. 

The pitchy was built to switch nan EA-6B Prowler, and first went into accumulation successful October 2004.

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The pitchy made its inaugural formation successful August 2006, and nan first transportation of nan craft was made connected June 3, 2008, to VAQ 129 astatine NAS Whidbey Island.

Each level comes pinch a value tag of $67 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.