Oct. 16 (UPI) — A search is underway for 2 missing U.S. Navy pilots after their aircraft appears to have crashed Tuesday afternoon somewhere east of Mount Rainier in Washington’s Pacific Northwest.
The United States Navy says it’s unknown if the pilots went down with the plane or ejected themselves from the EA-18G Growler fighter jet before it presumably crashed somewhere at about 3:23 p.m. Pacific time.
The identities of the 2 missing pilots have not been released.
The aircraft was based on Whidbey Island Naval Air Station north of Seattle and had been on a routine training mission on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Navy.
On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight ban around an area believed to be where the jet possibly went down.
Weather could be a factor in the search. Between 5 to 9 inches of snow is possible amid patchy fog and heavy snow is forecast for Wednesday for Mount Rainier.
A search team includes a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter launched from Whidbey Island to “locate the crew and examine the crash site,” the Navy said.
All EA-18G squadrons are stationed at NAS Whidbey except one squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
The Electronic Attack Squadron 130 jet was part of the Navy’s oldest electronic warfare squadron.
The EA-18G Growler’s sensors and weapons “provides the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapon system to counter current and emerging threats,” according to the squadron website.
