Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
The Navy identified on Monday the two aviators who died in an EA-18G Growler crash last week east of Mount Rainier in Washington.
Naval aviator Lt. Serena Wileman, 31, and naval flight officer Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans, 31, both from Electronic Attack Squadron 130 based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, were conducting a routine training flight on Tuesday at the time of the crash, according to the Navy.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, said in a statement Sunday. “Our priority right now is taking care of the families of our fallen aviators, and ensuring the well-being of our Sailors and the Growler community. We are grateful for the ongoing teamwork to safely recover the deceased.”
Wreckage of the crash was identified Wednesday and the Navy said Thursday night that it “rests at approximately 6,000 feet altitude in a remote, steep and heavily-wooded area east of Mount Rainier.”
Additionally, soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord stepped in to assist with search and recovery operations.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers,” concluded a deployment to the Middle East with Carrier Air Wing 3 embarked on the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in July.
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