Marine identifies crew members in jet crash near Mount Rainier

Two crew members on a U.S. Navy jet that crashed nearby Mount Rainier The Navy said Monday afternoon that they had been identified in Washington state.

They were Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, a naval aviation officer, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, a naval aviator, a Navy spokeswoman said in a statement obtained by CBS News. Evans and Wileman were both 31 years old and from California.

The Navy announced Sunday afternoon that the remains of both crew members had been found after a large-scale search lasting several days.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” said Cmdr. Timothy Warburton, commander of the Airmen's Electronic Attack Squadron, said in the release.

“Our priority at this time is caring for the families of our fallen Airmen. … We are grateful for the continued teamwork that enabled us to safely recover the deceased.”

Ganci said they were unable to identify the missing crew until 24 hours after notifying their families of their status.

The jet – an EA-18G Growler aircraft – had two crew members on board when it crashed during a routine training flight on Tuesday, the Navy said in an earlier statement.

The Wreckage of the crashed jet was spotted by aerial search teams on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier around 12:30 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday.

The search took place near Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano covered by snowfields and glaciers year-round. The search parties battled remote terrain and harsh weather.

The jet was based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in northwest Washington.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

The crashed jet is part of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, which boasts of being the Navy's oldest electronic attack squadron.

According to the squadron's website, the EA-18G Growler's sensors and weapons “provide the fighter aircraft with a lethal and survivable weapons system to counter current and emerging threats.”

Last December, a Navy surveillance plane shot over a runway at a military base in Hawaii and splashed into Kaneohe Bay, but all nine on board were uninjured.

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