A U.S. Navy electronic attack jet crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state on Tuesday, prompting a search for two missing crew members.
In a statement obtained by NBC News, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island officials explained that a Navy EA-18G Growler attack aircraft crashed while conducting a routine training flight. Navy officials said, “As of 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, the status of the two crew members remains unknown.”
ABC News reported that Navy officials indicated that the cause of Tuesday’s crash was unknown and remained under investigation.
According to Navy officials, a Navy MH-60S helicopter was launched from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on Tuesday to aid the search for the two missing EA-18G Growler crew members.
The Seattle Times reported that the Navy’s search efforts for the missing crew members remained ongoing as of 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Based on Flightradar24 data, the outlet said a Navy helicopter appeared to be searching an area of over 40 miles from north to south.
READ MORE: Navy SEALs’ deaths were preventable, military investigation reveals
NBC News reported that the EA-18G Growler aircraft was part of the Electronic Attack Squadron 130, which is also known as VAQ-130. The Electronic Attack Squadron 130 is based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and is the oldest electronic warfare squadron currently operating in the Navy, according to the U.S. Navy’s website.
According to a Navy press release, the Electronic Attack Squadron 130 returned to Washington in July after completing a nine-month deployment with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. Navy officials described the squadron’s deployments as a “historic combat deployment” in the Middle East.
The press release stated, “In Operation Yukon Lightning, VAQ-130 conducted seven pre-planned, dedicated strikes into Houthi-controlled Yemen and executed nearly 700 combat missions to degrade the Houthi capability to threaten innocent shipping.”
