A military plane crashed in Washington today killing all three crew members on board.
According to Reuters , the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler crashed in Lincoln County in eastern Washington.
The plane, which was assigned to the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, crashed during a routine training flight.
The names of the crew members on board the plane are being withheld until the families are notified. The cause of the crash is currently being investigated.
Base spokesman Mike Welding said that he wasn’t sure what caused the plane crash.
Welding said: “I don’t know exactly what it was doing. Everything is really preliminary at this point.”
ABC reports that the plane was “engaged in a low-level navigation training mission” at the time of the crash. The Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler is a twin engine plane that is primarily used for electronic warfare missions like jamming an enemies radar. The plane can also be equipped with missiles.
Aerial photos of the crash showed a black hole in the earth. It appears as if the majority of the plane disintegrated on impact.
Here’s a video report of the crash.
Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said: “I know all Washingtonians join me in sending condolences to the crew’s families and to their fellow service members whose duty to country often puts them in danger’s way.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, who represents the Whidbey area, said: “The thoughts and prayers of northwest Washington are with the families of the aircrew who lost their lives today … This tragic crash is a painful reminder of the dangerous work that members of the armed services perform every day in service to our nation.”
