Remains of Navy aviators killed while on a training flight from Washington State to return home

SEATTLE — The remains of two pilots who died when their plane 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 California native Lt. Serena Wileman were expected to return Monday, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station said. Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans’ remains will return later this week in a private function, in accordance with the wishes of her family.

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

The crash occurred at an altitude of approximately 1,828 meters in a remote, steep and heavily forested 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 performed the first-ever all-female flyover of Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023, to celebrate 50 years of women flying in the Navy.

The first female candidates entered the US Navy’s flight school in 1973.

Wileman, a Naval aviator, was commissioned in 2018 and joined the Zapper squadron on Whidbey Island in Washington state 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, according to Boeing, the manufacturer, provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to US forces and allies. The first Growler was delivered to Whidbey Island in 2008.