Search continues for missing Navy pilots aboard crashed Growler jet

Search efforts are still underway for two missing crew members who were aboard a U.S. Navy jet that crashed in the Cascade Mountains during a training mission Tuesday.

Aerial search crews spotted the wreckage Wednesday afternoon “on a mountainside” east of Mount Rainier, the Navy said in a press release, but that “the status of two crew members is unknown.”

The Navy said the crew was conducting a “routine training flight” from Whidbey Island.

Past coverage: Wreckage of crashed Navy jet out of Whidbey Island found, crew remains missing

On Thursday morning, Commander Beth Teach with the Naval Air Forces told KIRO Newsradio the remote location of the crash site complicated the search.

“We know that it’s not accessible by motorized vehicles,” Teach said. “So the Navy is currently working with local authorities, the tribal communities to determine the way ahead for gaining access on foot to that site.”

The Navy has not confirmed the exact location, but before the wreckage was found, it said in a press release that crews had begun searching about 30 miles west of Yakima. It appears the site may only be accessible to ground crews if they pass through lands in the Yakama Nation.

“It’s well far away from any main roads, so it’ll take some time (Thursday) to really get into that area,” Teach said.

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to the Yakama Nation but has not heard back at the time of publication. The Navy confirmed it is working with Yakima County tribal authorities.

It remains unclear if the crashed Growler or its crew had a transponder or other GPS device that may aid search efforts.

The Navy has not commented on whether the pilots were able to eject from the aircraft prior to its crash on Tuesday. Teach said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The plane was part of the VAQ-130 Squadron, or the “Zappers,” who conduct electronic warfare aimed at degrading communications. KING 5 reported the unit regularly trains with low-level flights over the Cascades.

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The squadron was also recently deployed to the Red Sea aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. It was part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a mission to protect civilian shipping in the region. The USS Dwight D Eisenhower returned from that deployment to the U.S. in July.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on X, or email him here.

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