The remains of the two crew members of a US Navy plane that crashed nearby Mount Rainier were found in Washington state, the Navy announced Sunday afternoon.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” said Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commander of the pilots’ Electronic Attack Squadron, said in the press release.
“Our priority at this time is to care for the families of our fallen pilots. We are grateful for the continued teamwork to safely return those who died.”
Ganci said they were unable to identify the missing crew until 24 hours after their families were notified of their status.
The plane — an EA-18G Growler aircraft — was carrying two crew members when it crashed during a routine training flight Tuesday, the Navy said in an earlier statement.
The wreckage of the crashed plane was spotted by aerial search crews on Wednesday around 12:30 a.m. Pacific Time on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier after a widespread multi-day search.
The search took place near Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano covered in snowfields and glaciers year-round. Search crews battled remote terrain and heavy weather.
The plane was based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in northwest Washington.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The downed aircraft is part of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, which boasts of being the oldest electronic warfare squadron in the Navy.
According to the squadron’s website, the EA-18G Growler’s sensors and weapons “provide the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapons system to counter current and emerging threats.”
Last December, a Navy surveillance plane overran a runway at a military base in Hawaii and plunged into Kaneohe Bay, but all nine on board were unharmed.
Charlie D’Agata contributed to this report.
