The wreckage of a Navy plane that crashed near Mount Rainier this week was spotted Wednesday afternoon. Two crew members who were on board remain missing.

The plane wreckage is approximately 6,000 feet above sea level in a remote, steep and heavily forested area east of Mount Rainier, according to the Navy in an updated news release.

The search for the missing crew members continues and the Navy is working to get troops into the field. Soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are assisting in the search, the release said.

The identities of the crew members have not been released.

The Navy said it could not identify or confirm the identities of the missing crew members until 24 hours after their next of kin were informed of their status.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The missing airmen were aboard an EA-18G Growler that took off from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on a training flight. It crashed Tuesday around 3:23 p.m., according to the Navy.

Search and rescue teams were deployed from NAS Whidbey Island to locate the crew and examine the accident scene. This included an American MH-60S helicopter.

The Navy is working with tribal and local authorities in Yakima County to search for the Growler aircraft, according to a Naval Air Force update.

The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Wednesday that it was working with the Navy to share information. The office also contacted other search and rescue teams for assistance until Navy assets were fully deployed.

Search and rescue teams faced mountainous terrain, cloudy weather and low visibility. The Navy conducted air operations throughout the night in the area 30 miles west of Yakima, according to an update Wednesday morning.

Wreckage from the crash was spotted shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release.

“An emergency operations center has been established on NAS Whidbey Island to coordinate response efforts, and the U.S. Navy is preparing to deploy personnel to secure the remote area that is not accessible to motorized vehicles “, the press release said.

The EA-18G Growler manufactured by Boeing belongs to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, also known as the “Zappers”.

“The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite,” the statement said.

VAQ-130 recently completed a combat deployment on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as the only E/A-18G Growler squadron staffed by Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, the release said.

“All EA-18G squadrons are stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, except for one squadron (VAQ-141) attached to CVW-5, Forward Deployed Naval Force, based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan “, the press release said.

Controversy erupted in 2018 when some Whidbey Island residents opposed Navy plans to increase Growler jet training, The News Tribune reported at the time.

The Navy planned to expand Growler squadrons based at the air base to increase takeoff and landing practices, according to the article. Neighbors opposed to the project said they were concerned about jet noise and additional land use restrictions around the airstrip near Coupeville.