On October 17, 2024, the U.S. Navy reported that a Navy electronic warfare plane crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington State on Tuesday, October 15. The fate of the two Navy crew members on board remains unknown, and search operations are still ongoing.
According to a statement from the U.S. Navy, the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft belonging to the 130th Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier around 3:20 pm on Tuesday. The aircraft was conducting routine training flights at the time of the incident.
The 130th Electronic Attack Squadron is the oldest electronic warfare squadron in U.S. Navy history and is nicknamed the “Zappers.” The squadron is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in the northwest part of Washington State.
“Multiple search and rescue assets, including U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopters, have been deployed from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to search for the two crew members and inspect the crash site. As of 7:00 pm on October 15, the status of the two crew members remains unknown,” the U.S. Navy stated.
The Navy also mentioned that the cause of the crash is still under investigation, and the identities of the two missing crew members have not been disclosed.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft and a variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. This electronic warfare aircraft is designed for low-flying operations to disrupt enemy communications.
On its website, the 130th Electronic Attack Squadron stated, “The EA-18G Growler we fly represents the most advanced technology in airborne electronic attack and serves as the Navy’s first line of defense in hostile environments.”
In October last year, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, leading to a significant escalation in the Middle East situation. The 130th Electronic Attack Squadron was deployed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to complete a nine-month mission in the Middle East, returning to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State in July this year.