Editor,

I’m very concerned about the safety of the EA-18G “Growler” crews and the community around my Central Whidbey home of over 50 years. The low-altitude flights required to practice aircraft carrier landing is too risky over such a small installation as OLF Coupeville.

The runway there is too short, built for WWII aircraft. According to the Navy’s 1977 Air Installation Compatible Use Zone Plan, Page 7, Chapter 1, Sections 1 – 1.3 of the Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria, “for safety of pilots, crew, and civilian residential population, these practice flights should take place over 30,000 unsettled acres.” OLF Coupeville is 664 acres, surrounded by year-round homes, elementary, middle, and high schools; the islands’ only public hospital, the busy grocery store, restaurants and various clinics and businesses.

On the direct flight path north, Island Transit’s bus barns and their fuel tanks pose risk from a collision that further risks forest fires into a surrounding tree farm and Rhododendron Park. The area south is Admiral’s Cove year-round residential community and a wild bird sanctuary, important to our tourist economy. Add to this the impacts of recurrent noise and crash-risk on wild wetlands of Crockett Lake Estuary.

These jets do malfunction and crash. On May 31, 2023 in mid-afternoon, a Growler was conducting “field carrier landing practice” at Outlying Field Coupeville and developed engine trouble. A resident waiting to turn onto Highway 20 from Patmore Road, just north of the runway, heard a loud and alarming metal on metal noise and saw a Growler that appeared to be struggling in flight. Further, a West Beach Road resident observed smoke billowing from the plane’s engine. Fortunately, the pilot was able to get the jet back to Ault Field without crashing. That was not the case in the tragic loss of the Growler crew that were killed when their EA-18G crashed on Mt Rainer in October of 2024. In another close call on February 12, 2025 a Growler crashed into San Diego Bay. Fortunately that time, no lives were lost.

Clearly, OLF Coupeville is inadequate and the surrounding area is too densely populated to safely qualify for the Navy’s own requirements. Respectfully, I urge those in authority to take responsibility for the growing risk the aging Growlers pose to us and anyone under their flight path.

Susan Bond

Coupeville