Navy A-6 Jet Crashes In Wenatchee Area

WENATCHEE - A Navy jet on a training mission crashed today on the west bank of the Columbia River 12 miles southeast of this north-central Washington town, officials said.

It was not immediately known how many people were aboard or whether there were any survivors. The plane that crashed, an A-6, can carry two to four crew members depending on the model, officials said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mitch Barker in Seattle said the plane went down at 10:16 a.m. Witnesses did not see parachutes, Barker said.

The plane was apparently flying a low-level navigation route when it crashed and broke into pieces, said Arnie Clarke, airport manager of Pangborn Field Wenatchee's municipal airport.

"A local citizen called the fire department about a loud boom and we dispatched fire trucks," Clarke said. There was no fire when rescuers arrived, he said.

Navy A-6s are carrier-borne bombers based at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station at Oak Harbor.

A Navy spokesman did not immediately confirm the crash, but said A-6s do train over the crash site.