Two Navy aviators died when their EA-18G Growler jet crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state during a routine training mission.

The aircraft went down in rugged, forested terrain east of the mountain on a Monday, with wreckage discovered the following day at approximately 6,000 feet elevation. Federal investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.

Who Were the Aviators

Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, of Palmdale, California, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, 31, of California, were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Evans, a Naval Flight Officer, participated in the first all-female flyover at Super Bowl LVII in 2023, an event celebrating five decades of women in naval aviation.

Wileman, commissioned as a Naval Aviator in 2018, joined the squadron three years later and received multiple commendations including the Navy Unit Commendation Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. Both aviators held roles as leaders in expanding women’s participation in combat aviation.

The Response and Investigation

The Navy confirmed both aviators had died by Sunday and transitioned operations from search-and-rescue to recovery efforts.