The search for the two crew members inside the aircraft is still ongoing, according to the Navy.
Officials said that the debris of a Navy plane that went down on Tuesday afternoon was found in Washington on a mountaintop east of Mount Rainier.
The EA-18G Growler crashed on Tuesday at around 12:30 p.m. local time, and the debris was found, according to a statement released by the U.S. Navy on Wednesday night.
Although the jet has been found, the two crew members’ whereabouts are still unknown as the hunt goes on.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where the aircraft was stationed, stated in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 apparently crashed at around 3:25 p.m. during a routine training flight.
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NAS Whidbey Island has created an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate reaction operations now that the airplane wreckage has been identified.
The region where the plane crashed is remote and inaccessible by car, so the Navy is also getting ready to protect it.
Capt. David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, stated, “I am thankful for the tremendous teamwork displayed by the NAS Whidbey Island squadrons – VAQ, VP, VQ, TOCRON 10 and SAR – as Team Whidbey continues to respond to our tragic mishap.” “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.”
The Navy stated that it will make further information accessible as it becomes available as part of its continuing investigation into the disaster.
According to the Navy website, the EA-18G is a variation of the F/A-18 family of aircraft, modified with a powerful electronic warfare suite intended for electronic defense and tactical jamming. Designed to take the position of the EA-6B Prowler, the aircraft was initially manufactured in October 2004.
August 2006 saw the jet’s first flight, and on June 3, 2008, it was delivered to VAQ 129 at NAS Whidbey Island for the first time.
The total cost of each plane is $67 million.
