The EA-18G Growler belonging to VAQ-130 crashed on October 15, 2024 during a training flight.

An EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft belonging to the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130) carrying two crew members crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 3:23 p.m. , local time. Neither crew member has been located. The wreckage of the plane was located in the mountainous region by search teams on Wednesday October 16.

“Aerial search teams located the wreckage around 12:30 p.m.,” the Navy said in a statement from spokesman Mike Welding. Welding later reported that the accident site was “on the mountainside east of Mount Rainier.”

The search for the missing crew members continues. Diana Stancy Navy time reported that “Multiple search and rescue assets, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, were launched from NAS Whidbey Island to locate the crew and examine the crash site,” said the navy in a statement “As of 7 p.m. on October 15, the status of the two crew members remains unknown.”

A comprehensive (but not exclusive) list of likely SAR air traffic east of Mount Rainier.

The list of aircraft involved in the search includes an SNC Scorpion ISR from the Department of Homeland Security, a P-3 Orion and a P-8A Poseidon from the US Navy, a UH-60L and possibly two fighters from NASWI. pic.twitter.com/4Z8Lie8y5N

– Intel Evergreen (@vcdgf555) October 16, 2024

The EA-18G Growler belonged to Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130), the “Zappers”, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The base where the plane’s unit is stationed is about 160 miles north of Mount Rainier, although the origin of the plane’s mission was not verified in initial media reports.

Washington’s Mount Rainier, near Seattle, Washington, is the second highest and has the most glaciers of any mountain in the lower 48 states. The mountain, inside Mount Rainier National Park, is 14,411 feet tall and almost the entire area rises more than 11,000 feet above the tree line. Because of its altitude and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, mountain guides at Rainier Mountaineering Inc. told TheAviationist.com that “the mountain creates its own climate.”

Several low-altitude routes pass through the Cascade Mountains National Parks, including VR1355, colloquially called the “million dollar ride” both for the scenic views and the fun, “aggressive” flying that can be done through the valleys.

A statement posted on the official Mount Rainier National Park website states that “The Road to Paradise (approximately 10,000 feet) will close beyond Longmire today (October 16) at 4 p.m. in anticipation of Mount Rainier Falls. snow forecast overnight on the mountain. All vehicles wishing to leave the Paradise area must depart by 4 p.m. Although weather conditions at the time of the accident are unknown, current weather forecasts may influence search and rescue efforts in the area.

Another variant of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, an “EF-18M” (“E” for “Espana” or “Spain”) of the Spanish Air Force, crashed Friday near Peralejos, in the province of Teruel in eastern Spain earlier this month. October 4, 2024, killing Spanish Air Force officer Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Estrada Martín. The Aviator reported that “the 49-year-old officer, very popular within the Ejército del Aire y el Espacio, was unable to eject from the EF-18M”

EA-18G Grunt

The EA-18G Growler is a specialized variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet designed for electronic warfare. It first flew in 2006 and entered operational service as an electronic warfare attack aircraft three years later, in 2009. The twin-engine aircraft has a crew of two, a pilot and an electronic warfare officer, and operates from aircraft carriers and land bases. EA-18G Growlers are in service with the Royal Australian Air Force in addition to the US Navy.

One of the main differences from the standard Super Hornet is the presence of wingtip pods housing the ALQ-218 system, which detects and locates enemy signals and transmitters.

The ALQ-218 is an advanced radar warning receiver and electronic monitoring system that collects data on sources of radio frequency emissions. This capability allows the Growler to identify and track hostile signals, contributing to the electronic order of battle (EOB) in active combat environments.

The Growler’s electronic attack capabilities are built around an avionics suite derived from the EA-6B Prowler’s ICAP III (Improved Capability III) system. Future upgrades, including Block II Growler enhancements and Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) pods, will allow the EA-18G to carry out cyberattacks by hacking or injecting malware into enemy networks.

VAQ-130 Zappers

Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130), the “Zappers”, the 65-year-old unit to which Tuesday’s crashed plane belongs, is the oldest electronic attack squadron in the US Navy. During its history beginning in 1959, the unit has flown the Douglas EA-1F Skyraider single-engine piston propeller aircraft, the large Douglas EKA-3B Skywarrior jet, the four-seat twin-engine Grumman EA-6B Prowler and now operates the EA-18G Growler.

The squadron recently returned from a nine-month deployment to the Red Sea aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during which it participated in the fight against Houthi rebels. During the eventful cruise, an EA-18G from the “Zappers” used an AGM-88E AARGM to destroy a Mi-24/Mi-35 Hind attack helicopter on the ground; a feat celebrated by VAQ-130 adorning the Growler with a kill mark.