Two Navy pilots died when their EA-18G Growler aircraft crashed near Mount Rainier during a training mission on Saturday.
Federal investigators are examining what caused the military jet to go down in rugged, forested terrain east of the mountain. The crash occurred during a routine training flight, prompting a search effort that located wreckage at approximately 6,000 feet in steep, heavily wooded conditions.
Who Were the Pilots
The Navy identified the deceased aviators as Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, of Palmdale, California, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, 31, of California. Both were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Evans, a Naval Flight Officer, made history in 2023 as part of the first all-female flyover at Super Bowl LVII, honoring five decades of women in naval aviation. Wileman, commissioned in 2018, joined the squadron three years later and received the Navy Unit Commendation Medal and Combat Action Ribbon.
Recovery and Investigation Underway
The Navy confirmed both aviators’ deaths on Sunday and transitioned from search-and-rescue to recovery operations. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee authorized the National Guard to provide security at the crash site while Navy teams prepare for long-term salvage efforts.
