Posted on 10/16/2024 6:07:56 AM PDT by Red Badger
YAKIMA COUNTY, Wash. - A Navy aircraft crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday, law enforcement confirmed.
According to USNI News, a nonprofit news service of the U.S. Naval Institute, a Navy EA-18G Growler crashed during a routine training flight at around 3:20 p.m.
A helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is actively searching for two crew members. Yakima County Search and Rescue crews also examined the crash site and looked for the crew.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The crew members' status remains unknown.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft from the "Zappers" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
If the crew punched out they could be miles away from the actual crash site.
It's been a long time since I was in P-3s, but with today's technology I would think each individual would have a GPS pinger in their LPAs.
♪♪♪ Look for the DEI Label... ♪♪♪
Boeing EA-18G Growler....................
FYI, this platform is a modified version of the F-18 Hornet that took over the electronic warfare duties from the Grumman EA-6B Prowler when it retired.
They all carry esats.
Look up AN/PRC-90 for pretty good comparison.
“Boeing EA-18G Growler”
True - and DEI was likely in MANY locations regarding this (expensive) aircraft.
“been a long time since I was in P-3s”
I saw the P-3s go into sunset and retire while working at the depot level.....F-14 Tomcats as well.
Always a certain sadness when an old workhorse is put out to pasture.
I hear on good authority that the P-8 Orion actually doesn’t do the job the P-3s did as well.....improvement right? SMH
They call the P-8 "Poseidon".
I also hear from active duty contacts that the thing only gets you on station, and back home, faster.
Yes I meant Orion....my bad....old habits die hard. 🙂
And that’s what I heard, they actually fly too fast to perform effectively.
*sigh*
This smacks of another crew hotdogging it at low altitude and corresponding bird strike.
I hope that I’m wrong and, in either event, that the crew is alright...
...O, Hear us when we lift our prayers for those in peril in the air.
Navy guys please help. Inspected crash, pilots not there, therefore ejected, whether dead or alive the ejection seats emit signal? No? Like search and rescue 101? Aircraft goes down and search and rescue know exactly where pilots are?
“Who put that mountain there?”
If everything is up to snuff, that sounds about right. There was a post on a FB group of folks from Homestead AFB, back in the day. One woman said her husband risked his career by pointing out that about half the egress systems (F-4C/D) were corroded to the point he wouldn’t trust them to work.
We had GPS on our parachutes in the AF. Pray they find them.
This will probably be controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) which would allow no reaction time for the crew to eject.
If there is any correction or more information out there, I would appreciate an update.
There is traditionally a grace period after notification of the next of kin before they will announce the status of the crew.
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