Remains of naval aviators killed in Washington state training flight to return home

SEATTLE (AP) — The remains of two aviators who died when their jet crashed during a training flight in Washington state last month will return home from Dover Air Force base in the coming days, the Navy said.

The remains of Lt. Serena Wileman, a California native, were due to return on Monday, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station said. Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans’ remains will return later during the week in a private affair in accordance with her family’s wishes.

The two died when their EA-18G Growler jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron, known as “Zappers,” crashed east of Mount Rainier on Oct. 15.

The crash occurred at about 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in a remote, steep and heavily wooded area. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Evans, a naval flight officer from Palmdale, California, made history as part of a team of female pilots who conducted the first-ever all-female flyover of Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023, to celebrate 50 years of women flying in the Navy.

The first female candidates entered the U.S. Navy flight school in 1973.

Wileman, a naval aviator, was commissioned in 2018 and joined the Zapper squadron on Washington state’s Whidbey Island in 2021. She earned the National Defense Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon.

The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to U.S. forces and allies, according to Boeing, its manufacturer. The first Growler was delivered to Whidbey Island in 2008.