Fighter plane crashes in Washington, 2 pilots die

(CLO) Two crew members missing after a fighter jet crashed in Washington state have been declared dead, the US Navy said on Sunday.

An EA-18G Growler fighter jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed on the east side of Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, according to information from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Search teams, including a US Navy MH-60S helicopter, have been deployed from the base to search for the crew and the plane's crash site.

An EA-18G Growler. Photo: Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times

Army Special Forces soldiers were mobilized to reach the wreckage, which is at an elevation of about 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a remote, steep and heavily forested area east of Mount Rainier, officials said.

The names of the pilots will not be released until their families are notified, the Navy said, adding that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Finding the missing crew members “as quickly and safely as possible” is the top priority, Col. David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Squadron, US Pacific Fleet, said Thursday.

The EA-18G Growler is a similar version to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and is equipped with advanced electronic warfare equipment. The majority of Growler squadrons are based at Whidbey Island. Another squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

The first EA-18G Growler entered service at Whidbey Island in 2008. Over the past 15 years, Growlers have operated globally supporting major operations, the Navy said. The aircraft seats two: a pilot in the front and an electronics technician in the back. Each aircraft costs about $67 million.

In May, an F-35 fighter jet en route from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles crashed after stopping to refuel in New Mexico. The pilot was the only person on board and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Last year, eight members of the US Air Force Special Operations Command were killed when a CV-22B Osprey they were flying in crashed off the coast of Japan.

Hong Hanh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/may-bay-chien-dau-roi-o-bang-washington-2-phi-cong-tu-nan-post317686.html