Army special forces join search for missing Navy pilots after crash

Military particular forces troopers have joined the mission to find and discover two Navy aviators whose EA-18G Growler jet crashed Tuesday in a distant space east of Mount Rainier in Washington state.

The 2-person fighter jet, assigned to Digital Assault Squadron 130 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, crashed east of Mount Rainier at roughly 3:20 p.m. native time Tuesday whereas conducting coaching, the Navy mentioned.

Wreckage was discovered Wednesday, however the Navy mentioned Thursday night time that it “rests at roughly 6,000 ft altitude in a distant, steep and heavily-wooded space east of Mount Rainier.”

Troopers from the first Particular Forces Group (Airborne) primarily based at close by Joint Base Lewis-McChord are aiding within the search, the Navy mentioned.

“The unit brings specialised mountaineering, high-angle rescue, medical, and technical communication expertise essential to navigate the troublesome terrain related to the Cascade Mountain Vary that’s inaccessible by different means,” the Navy mentioned.

Any affirmation of whether or not both of the aviators survived the crash can’t be completed and not using a particles space website evaluation, in keeping with the Navy.

“Our precedence is to find our two aviators as rapidly and as safely as doable,” Capt. David Ganci, commanding officer of Digital Assault Wing, mentioned in a press release. “Adhering to [Pentagon] process, we can not determine or affirm the names of aircrew concerned in a mishap till 24-hours after their subsequent of kin have been notified of their standing. Please stay affected person and restrict hypothesis concerning the incident. That is among the finest methods we will respect the privateness of the family members who’re impacted by this tragic occasion.”