Navy identifies 2 fighter jet pilots who died after crash in Washington state
The U.S. Navy said Sunday that two pilots who went missing after a fighter jet crash near Mount Rainier in Washington state last week have died.
Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, a Naval flight officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, 31, a Naval flight aviator, were killed in the Oct. 15 crash of the EA-18G Growler they were in. Both were from California, the Navy said Monday.
They were on a routine training flight when the electronic warfare plane crashed east of Mount Rainier at around 3:23 p.m., the Navy said. The wreckage of the plane was found Wednesday, but the two crew members remained missing and the search for the bodies was ongoing.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” said Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, referring to the nickname of squadron members.
President Joe Biden on Monday said that he and first lady Jill Biden were mourning the loss of the two aviators.
"They were among our nation’s finest and had just recently returned to the United States after an extended deployment to the Middle East defending against Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea," Biden said in a statement.
Warburton said a search team continues to comb through a large area, "recovering debris and planning for the long-term salvage and recovery effort." The crash site is around 6,000 feet above sea level, in a heavily wooded area east of Mount Rainier, the Navy said last week.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the Navy said.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington, where the VAQ-130 is based, said Monday that Evans and Wileman were trailblazers and role models.
“While familiar with the spotlight, Evans always carried herself as a humble yet strong leader — the quiet professional,” the naval station said.
Evans also took part in the 2023 all-female Super Bowl flyover, which the base called a historic moment marking 50 years of women flying in the Navy.
Wileman “established herself as an energetic, vocal, and positive influence in VAQ-130,” the naval air station said in the statement.
“Known for her heart of gold, passion, and unrelenting smile, Wileman was always committed to improve and grow, not only for herself but every Sailor and officer around her,” the air station said.
Evans and Wileman also carried out strikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in their most recent deployment, making them among “the few women to fly combat missions over land,” the station said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
