Identities of Naval Aviators Who Died in WA State Crash Released
The Navy has publicly released the identities of the 2 crew members who died in the crash of an EA-18G Growler aircraft near Mt. Rainier.
The 2 crew members were on a training mission
Following the 3:20 PM crash east of Mt. Rainier, the Navy began an extensive search mission and found the wreckage of the electronic warfare plane on a steep mountainside in a remote western area of Yakima County.
The Navy has not pinpointed the crash location, except that it was a very rugged area and not accessible by any vehicles.
With help from Special Forces from Join Base McCord-Lewis in the Seattle area, crews were able to reach the site, and Sunday said the mission had become one of recovery, the 2 crew were deceased.
The identities of the two onboard are Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans (left in photo), a naval flight officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman (right in photo), a flight officer. Both were 31 and originally from California.
According to MyNorthwest.com:
"Just after 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft crashed east of Mount Rainier during a routine training flight, the Navy confirmed. Multiple search-and-rescue attempts, including using a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, were conducted to locate the crew and examine the crash site."
Navy protocol is to wait at least 24 hours following the notification of family or next-of-kin before releasing this kind of information to the public. No other details have been released, the Navy is conducting an investigation into what led up to the crash.
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Gallery Credit: Andrew Lisa