Army special operations soldiers with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) walk to a rally point after jumping from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in 2019. (Adam Armstrong/Army)
Special Forces soldiers trained in mountaineering are assisting the Navy in its search for the crew of a crashed Growler jet that went down Tuesday near Mount Rainier.
The soldiers are from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The unit brings specialized mountaineering, high-angle rescue, medical, and technical communication skills necessary to navigate the difficult terrain associated with the Cascade Mountain Range, the Navy said late Thursday.
The wreckage of the EA-18G Growler jet rests at an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet in a remote, steep and heavily wooded area east of Mount Rainier. The site is inaccessible by vehicle or foot, said Cmdr. Beth Teach, a Navy spokeswoman in San Diego.
The jet crashed at about 3:23 p.m. Tuesday with two aviators on board. The status of the crew cannot be confirmed without a site assessment of the debris area. The Navy has not yet identified the crew involved in the crash.
“Our priority is to locate our two aviators as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Capt. David Ganci, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
An emergency operations center was established at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The austere environment – including low visibility, mountain terrain, snow and rain -- hampered search and rescue efforts, Teach said, making it difficult to locate the wreckage. The crash site was discovered Wednesday, more than 20 hours after the jet went down.
Navy P-3 Orion and P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance planes from NAS Whidbey Island flew over large swaths of the region on the southwestern border between Washington and Oregon looking for the crash site.
A Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk search and rescue helicopter and other helicopters from the nearby Lewis-McChord also took part in the search for the Growler crash or the crew near the 14,411-foot Mount Rainier.
Having located the site, efforts are focused on access.
“We are confident that we have the capability we need at this time, and will request any additional capabilities, if needed, via official channels in coordination with the on-site incident commander,” said Capt. Nathan Gammache, commanding officer of NAS Whidbey Island.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Stars and Stripes reporter Gary Warner contributed to this report.
