Navy identifies crew members in jet crash near Washington's Mount Rainier
Two crew members in a U.S. Navy jet that crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state have been identified, the Navy said Monday afternoon.
They were Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, a naval flight officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, a naval aviator, a spokesperson for the Navy shared in a statement obtained by CBS News. Evans and Wileman were both 31 years old and from California.
The Navy announced Sunday afternoon that the remains of both crew members were found after a widespread multi-day search.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers," said Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of the aviators' Electronic Attack Squadron, in the press release.
"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."
Ganci said they could not identify the missing crew until 24 hours after their families had been notified of their status.
The jet – an EA-18G Growler aircraft – was carrying two crew members when it went down during a routine training flight Tuesday, the Navy said in a previous statement.
The wreckage of the crashed jet was spotted at about 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time by aerial search crews on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier on Wednesday.
The search took place near Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano that is blanketed in snowfields and glaciers year-round. Search crews battled remote terrain and tough weather.
The jet was based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in northwest Washington.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
The crashed jet is part of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, which boasts being the oldest electronic warfare squadron in the Navy.
According to the squadron's website, the EA-18G Growler's sensors and weapons "provides the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapon system to counter current and emerging threats."
Last December, a Navy surveillance plane overshot a runway at a military base in Hawaii and splashed into Kaneohe Bay, but all nine aboard were uninjured.