Navy Identifies 2 Pilots Killed in Jet Crash in Washington State

(Left) Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay "Miley" Evans. (Right) Lt. Serena "Dug" Wileman. U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy has identified two pilots who went missing and have since been declared dead after their EA-18G Growler crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington State last week.

The pilots were identified on Oct. 21 as Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, 31, both from California.

The Navy said Evans and Wileman’s craft went down during a routine training flight on Oct. 15. Search efforts had played out for several days before the service concluded that both pilots were killed in the crash.

Evans studied at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and joined the Navy through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).

“As an EA-18G Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and veteran of two sea tours, she earned the respect of the entire Growler community for her tactical expertise, mentorship to those of all ranks and communities, and ability to bring out the best in everyone around her,” the Navy said in a press release on Monday.

The EA-18G Growler is a carrier-capable electronic attack jet based on the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Electronic attack aircraft are specialized for jamming and destroying enemy radar and air defense arrays, suppressing defenses to facilitate broader attacks.

Evans, whose call sign was “Miley,” was one of a group of female aviators who participated in an all-female flyover of the 2023 Super Bowl, celebrating 50 years of women in naval aviation.

More recently, Evans was deployed with Carrier Air Wing-3, attached to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG), as it deployed to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas war and wider conflicts throughout the region. The Navy credited Evans with planning, coordinating, and executing multiple combat strikes into Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.

Evans was awarded three Strike Flight Air Medals for her contributions to missions flown between Dec. 21, 2023, and March 29, 2024. She also received two Single Action Air Medals for her role in strikes carried out over Yemen on Jan. 12, 2024.

The Navy also credited Evans with helping implement new electronic warfare attack tactics as the training officer for Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, the “Zappers,” based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Wileman, whose call sign was “Dug,” was at the beginning of her naval aviation career. The Navy described her as “an energetic, vocal, and positive influence in VAQ-130.”

Wileman was attached to CVW-3 as part of last year’s deployment with the IKE CSG, and she, too, participated in flight operations over Yemen. She served as a landing signal officer, helping to direct fellow aviators to land on the aircraft carrier.

“Despite operating in a weapons engagement zone, her calm and collected demeanor under pressure showed during combat operations. Even when recovering alerts while IKE was being targeted and the CSG was under attack by Houthi terrorists, she executed flawlessly, bringing all CVW-3 aircraft aboard expeditiously and safely,” the Navy said.

Wileman received three Strike Flight Air Medals for her role in combat operations between Dec. 17, 2023, and April 5, 2024.

Wileman is survived by her husband, Brandon, a fellow Naval aviator she met during flight school.

“I have personally flown with both of these great Americans in both training and dynamic combat operations, and they always performed professionally and precisely,“ Capt. Marvin Scott, Commander of CVW-3, said on Monday. ”As true leaders in the Growler community, VAQ-130, and across my Air Wing, their contributions cannot be overstated; I could not be more proud to have served with each of them.”