Navy mourns loss of two women pilots in Washington crash

The Navy revealed on Monday the identities of two women aviators who tragically died when their jet crashed in northeast Washington during a training mission on 15 October.

The deceased were identified as Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. “Miley” Evans and Lt. Serena N. “Dug” Wileman, both aged 31 and from California. Navy officials described them as “highly skilled, combat-decorated aviators.”

The Navy’s Carrier Strike Group Two and Carrier Air Wing 3 stated that Evans and Wileman were more than just their ranks; they were role models and trailblazers whose influence extended far beyond the flight deck.

The two aviators who died when their fighter jet crashed last week are being remembered as a trailblazing female duo who recently returned from a Red Sea deployment.

Related Articles

• 
  Rare ‘doomsday fish’ caught in Tiwi Islands goes viral

  10 hours ago
• 
  Teenager charged with killing family in £2m Washington mansion

  11 hours ago

Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, both 31, were identified by Naval Air Forces Pacific. The two… pic.twitter.com/0IoGfAKney

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 21, 2024

The announcement of their deaths came a day after Cmdr. Timothy Warburton of the Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron 130, known as the “Zappers,” confirmed the loss. Warburton expressed the squadron’s sorrow and emphasised the priority of supporting the aviators’ families and the community.

Military officials located the wreckage of the EA-18G Growler jet on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier. Search-and-rescue teams faced challenging conditions, including mountainous terrain, cloudy weather, and low visibility, during their efforts.

The jet, part of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, crashed at around 3:23 p.m. on 15 October, approximately 30 miles west of Yakima. It had launched from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island for a training flight.

President Joe Biden and the first lady expressed their condolences on Monday, mourning the loss of the pilots and honouring their service and sacrifice. Biden noted that they were among the nation’s finest and extended prayers to their families and loved ones.

Evans and Wileman had recently returned from a nine-month deployment to the Red Sea, where they were part of Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. They distinguished themselves in what the Navy termed “the most dynamic combat action.”

🇺🇸The US Navy identified the two Growler crew members who died after a crash last week as naval aviator Lt. Serena Wileman and naval flight officer Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans.

They most recently were deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
🫡😞🥀 pic.twitter.com/f7WjUmTxqL

— IleShadow2 (@IleShadow2) October 22, 2024

Capt. Marvin Scott, a Navy flight commander, highlighted their combat achievements and described them as role models who inspired future generations of Naval officers and aviators. Evans had carried out multiple combat strikes into Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen, becoming one of the few women to fly combat missions over land.

In 2023, Evans participated in an all-female Super Bowl flyover, marking 50 years of women flying in the Navy. She was also named the Growler Tactics Instructor of the Year in 2024. Wileman, too, flew multiple combat missions into Houthi-controlled Yemen in 2023 and 2024.

Capt. Scott praised both aviators for their professionalism and precision during training and combat operations. He expressed pride in having served with them.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The Growler aircraft, valued at approximately $67 million, represents the Navy’s most advanced technology in airborne electronic attack.

The 130 squadron, known as the “Zappers,” was commissioned as Carrier Early Warning Squadron 13 in 1959. Recently, it was deployed to the Southern Red Sea, conducting pre-planned strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and carrying out around 700 combat missions to mitigate threats to innocent shipping.