Navy Identifies Two Aviators K!lled in Growler Jet Crash

The U.S. Navy has identified the two aviators killed in a fighter jet crash near Mount Rainier in Washington state.

The victims were Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, both 31 and from California.

According to the Navy, they were flying an EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers,” when the aircraft crashed during a training flight east of Mount Rainier.

Search teams later found the wreckage in a remote, steep, wooded area at about 6,000 feet. Officials first launched a search-and-rescue operation, but later moved to recovery efforts after confirming the deaths.

Evans had made history as part of the first all-female flyover at Super Bowl LVII in 2023, marking 50 years of women flying in the Navy.

Wileman joined the Zapper squadron in 2021 and had received several military honors, including the National Defense Service Medal and Combat Action Ribbon.

The Navy said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Officials said their priority is supporting the families of the fallen aviators and the wider Growler community.