Navy Aviators Declared Dead After Crash

Sunday, reports broke of a military crash in Washington state.

It was later revealed that the accident was a U.S. Navy fighter jet that had been flying over mountainous terrain in the state.

Sadly, both pilots were missing, and they have now been declared dead.

Sad Day

According to reports, the jet was part of the Electronic Attack Squadron.

The aviators were flying in an EA-18G Growler at the time of the accident.

The Navy website states, “The EA-18G Growler aircraft we fly represents the most advanced technology in airborne Electronic Attack and stands as the Navy’s first line of defense in hostile environments.”

Most of our Growlers are stationed at this base, with additional ones assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

Each place costs roughly $67 million.

After the accident was reported, search and rescue operations were launched from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to locate the crash site and, hopefully, the two aviators.

Army Special Forces soldiers, a unit that specializes in recovery in this type of terrain, were also called in to help with the search.

On Wednesday, the team located the wreckage in a remote area east of Mount Rainier. It was located in a heavily wooded area with extremely steep terrain.

The names of the fallen have not yet been released until their respective families have been notified.

Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of the aviators’ Electronic Attack Squadron, stated, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers.

“Our priority right now is taking care of the families of our fallen aviators. … We are grateful for the ongoing teamwork to safely recover the deceased.”

While training accidents such as this are rare, sadly, they are a part of the reality of serving.

The last reported accident was in May when an F-35 crashed. Last year, eight members of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command were killed when a CV-22B Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan.

Our thoughts are with the families of the fallen.