Navy identifies trailblazing pilots killed in jet crash near Mount Rainier

Oct 22

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

Two U.S. Navy aviators have been identified as the pilots killed in last week’s jet crash during a training mission in northeast Washington, Navy officials said Monday, Oct 21. Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, both 31 and from California, died when their EA-18G Growler jet went down 30 miles west of Yakima.

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The aircraft had taken off from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

The Navy described Evans and Wileman as highly decorated officers who were trailblazers and role models within the Navy’s aviation community. They were part of the Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers.”

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“More than just names and ranks, they were role models, trailblazers, and women whose influence touched countless people on the flight deck and well beyond,” the Navy’s Carrier Strike Group Two said in a statement.

Search crews faced challenging conditions while recovering the wreckage near Mount Rainier. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Evans and Wileman had recently returned from a nine-month deployment in the Middle East. Both aviators participated in combat operations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

Evans, who flew some of the few combat missions over land, was part of the Navy’s historic all-female flyover during the 2023 Super Bowl. She was also named Growler Tactics Instructor of the Year in 2024.

President Joe Biden expressed his condolences in a statement, honoring the aviators as “among our nation’s finest,” and said the country “will always honor their service and sacrifice.”

Tags: fighter jets, Navy, Pilots, Washington

[craig nigrelli]

TWO U.S. NAVY AVIATORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE PILOTS KILLED IN LAST WEEK’S JET CRASH DURING A TRAINING MISSION IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON.

Lieutenant commander LYNDSAY EVANS AND Lieutenant SERENA WILEMAN, BOTH 31 AND FROM CALIFORNIA, WERE HAILED BY NAVY OFFICIALS AS TRAILBLAZERS AND ROLE MODELS, KNOWN FOR THEIR DECORATED COMBAT SERVICE AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACT WITHIN THE NAVY’S AVIATION COMMUNITY.

EVANS AND WILEMAN WERE PART OF THE NAVY’S ELECTRONIC ATTACK SQUADRON 130, KNOWN AS THE “ZAPPERS.” THEIR EA-18G GROWLER JET CRASHED 30 MILES WEST OF YAKIMA AFTER LAUNCHING FROM NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND. SEARCH CREWS FACED DIFFICULT CONDITIONS WHILE RECOVERING THE WRECKAGE ON A MOUNTAINSIDE NEAR MOUNT RAINIER.

THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

THE TWO AVIATORS HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A NINE-MONTH DEPLOYMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHERE THEY TOOK PART IN COMBAT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING MULTIPLE STRIKES IN HOUTHI-CONTROLLED TERRITORIES IN YEMEN. THEIR MISSIONS WERE LAUNCHED FROM THE USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, ONE OF THE NAVY’S NUCLEAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIERS.

EVANS, ONE OF THE FEW WOMEN TO FLY COMBAT MISSIONS OVER LAND, WAS ALSO PART OF AN ALL-FEMALE FLYOVER AT THE 2023 SUPER BOWL CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN FLYING IN THE NAVY. BOTH AVIATORS WERE HIGHLY REGARDED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, WITH EVANS BEING NAMED GROWLER TACTICS INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR IN 2024.

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