The Navy on Monday identified the two crew members killed last week in a fighter jet crash near Mount Rainier as two 31-year-old pilots from California.
Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, a naval flight officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, a naval aviator, died when their EA-18G Growler jet of the Electronic Attack Squadron, known as “Zappers,” crashed east of Mount Rainier last Tuesday during a training flight, according to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Evans, of Palmdale, California, made history as part of a team of female pilots who performed the first-ever all-female flyover of Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023, to celebrate 50 years of women in the Navy, Steve Fiebing, a spokesperson for the Navy to the Associated Press.
The first female candidates entered the US Navy’s flight school in 1973.
“I joined the Navy to serve my country,” Evans said Los Angeles Times. “Serving in the Navy means you are part of something bigger than yourself.”
Wileman was commissioned in 2018 and joined the Zapper squadron on Whidbey Island, Washington State, in 2021. She earned the National Defense Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon.
An aerial crew located the wreckage the day after the crash at about 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a remote, steep and heavily forested area east of Mount Rainier, officials said.
Navy officials pronounced the pilots dead Sunday and said they have transitioned from search and rescue operations to recovery operations.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” said Commander. Timothy Warburton, Commanding Officer, Electronic Attack Squadron 130. “Our priority at this time is caring for the families of our fallen Airmen and ensuring the well-being of our Sailors and the Growler community. We are grateful for the continued teamwork to find the deceased safely.”
Personnel are working to recover debris and plan for long-term recovery and recovery efforts, the Navy said. Gov. Jay Inslee said the Navy had asked the Washington State National Guard to “provide 24/7 security at assigned traffic checkpoints.” Inslee granted the request on Sunday.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The first production of the Growler was delivered to Whidbey Island in 2008. For the past 15 years, the Growler has operated around the world in support of major operations, the Navy said. The aircraft seats a pilot in the front and an electronics operator behind them.
“The EA-18G Growler aircraft we fly represents the most advanced technology in airborne electronic attack and is the Navy’s first line of defense in hostile environments,” the Navy said. on its website. Each plane costs about $67 million.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray said she was heartbroken to hear of the death of Evans, whom she met at the Naval Air Station last year.
“I am deeply grateful for her courage and sacrifice in service to our country,” Murray said in a statement. “She was a leader who broke barriers and made history.”
“Similarly, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Lieutenant Serena Wileman,” she continued. “I am so proud of both of these women for their groundbreaking careers – their service has undoubtedly made a difference and paved a path for the women who will come after them.”