Two Navy Aviators Identified After Fatal Jet Crash Near Mount Rainier

The pilots, Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, were recently returned from a Middle East deployment and remembered as trailblazers in their field.

Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, both 31 and from California, were killed in an EA-18G Growler crash during a training flight on October 15.
The crash site was located in a remote, mountainous area east of Mount Rainier, complicating search and recovery efforts due to difficult terrain and weather conditions.
Both aviators had recently completed a nine-month deployment in the Red Sea, where they participated in combat missions against Houthi forces in Yemen.
Evans and Wileman were recognized for their contributions to naval aviation, with Evans participating in the first all-female Super Bowl flyover in 2023.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and the Navy is focusing on supporting the families of the deceased and the broader Growler community.