U.S. Navy EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft
According to a report from CCTV News, the U.S. military stated on the 16th that a U.S. Navy EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft crashed the previous day, and the whereabouts of the two pilots remain unknown.
The aircraft, belonging to the U.S. Navy, was on a training mission when it crashed on the afternoon of the 15th in the Mount Rainier area of Washington State in the northwest United States. Rescue personnel spotted the wreckage during an aerial search on the 16th, but the two pilots were not found.
The Associated Press, citing multiple military officials, reported that it is unclear whether the pilots ejected before the crash, and the cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
The military plans to send a rescue team to the crash site, but the area’s rugged terrain makes it inaccessible by vehicles.
This is at least the third U.S. military aircraft crash this year.
On May 28, an F-35B fighter jet, freshly produced, took off from Fort Worth, Texas, en route to Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the journey, it stopped to refuel at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed. The pilot ejected but was seriously injured.
On April 30, an F-16 fighter jet crashed in New Mexico, and the pilot survived.
In late January, a U.S. F-16 fighter jet stationed in South Korea crashed into the sea, and the pilot was rescued.
