The Navy has identified three crew members kill in the crash of a Navy EA-6B Prowler Monday in an unpopulated area about 50 miles west of Spokane.
The aircraft assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was conducting a routine training flight when it crashed.
The Navy personnel killed in the crash are:
- Lieutenant Junior Grade Valerie Cappelaere Delaney; Naval Aviator; 26; from Ellicott City, Md.
- Lieutenant Junior Grade William Brown McIlvaine III; Naval Flight Officer; 24; from El Paso, Texas
- Lieutenant Commander Alan A. Patterson; Naval Flight Officer; 34; from Tullahoma, Tenn.
A safety investigation is underway to determine the cause.
According to the U.S. Navy's Web site, the EA-6B Prowler is primarily used for the suppression of enemy air defenses in support of strike aircraft and ground troops. It's nearly 60-feet-long and can carry a pilot and three other officers.
