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An EA-18G Growler engine (File photo)
The
US Navy
on Wednesday was searching for two
aviators
after their plane crashed during a routine training flight the previous day. The
crash
occurred east of Mount Rainier around 3.23 pm (local time), according to
Whidbey Island
Naval Air Station.
The aircraft involved was an
EA-18G Growler
jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron. Search teams, including a US Navy
MH-60S helicopter
, were dispatched from NAS Whidbey Island to find the crew and investigate the crash site, as per AP reports.
Navy officials are uncertain if the two crew members ejected before the crash. The incident remains under investigation.
The EA-18G Growler, equipped with advanced electronic warfare technology, is similar to the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Most Growler squadrons are based at Whidbey Island, with one squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.
“The EA-18G Growler aircraft we fly represents the most advanced technology in airborne Electronic Attack and stands as the Navy’s first line of defense in hostile environments,” the Navy stated on its website. Each aircraft has a pilot and an electronics operator and costs about $67 million.
The search effort took place in rainy and cloudy weather near Mount Rainier. The area is known for its year-round snowfields and glaciers.
In another incident earlier this year, an F-35 fighter jet crashed in New Mexico, injuring the pilot. In a separate incident last year, eight US Air Force personnel died when a CV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan.
The EA-18G Growler began operating at Whidbey Island in 2008 and has supported various major actions globally over the past 15 years.
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