The wreckage of a Navy jet that crashed on Tuesday afternoon was located on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier in Washington, according to officials.
The U.S. Navy said on Wednesday evening that aerial search crews located the wreckage of the EA-18G Growler that crashed at about 12:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
While the plane has been located, the status of the two crew members remains unknown as search efforts continue.
In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where the jet was based out of, said the EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 reportedly crashed at about 3:25 p.m. during a routine training flight.
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Now that the jet wreckage has been located, an Emergency Operations Center has been established at NAS Whidbey Island to coordinate response efforts.
The Navy is also preparing to secure the remote area where the jet crashed, which is not accessible by motorized vehicles.
“I am thankful for the tremendous teamwork displayed by the NAS Whidbey Island squadrons – VAQ, VP, VQ, TOCRON 10 and SAR – as Team Whidbey continues to respond to our tragic mishap,” Capt. David Ganci, commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said. “I am also grateful to local law enforcement, responders, and tribal communities whose partnership has been essential in planning our critical next steps for access to the site.”
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The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and the Navy said it will release more information as it becomes available.
The EA-18G is a variant of the F/A-18 family of aircraft, outfitted with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite that is used for tactical jamming and electronic protection, according to the Navy’s website. The jet was built to replace the EA-6B Prowler, and first went into production in October 2004.
The jet made its inaugural flight in August 2006, and the first delivery of the aircraft was made on June 3, 2008, to VAQ 129 at NAS Whidbey Island.
Each plane comes with a price tag of $67 million.
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