2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 crash

2008 stealth bomber accident in Guam June 2026 June 2025 2008 02 23 y Crashed B-2.jpg Wreckage of the stealth bomber Stalled and crashed on take-off Accident Andersen Air Force Base, Guam 13 35 13 N 144 56 19 E region:GU_type:event inline,title 2 Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri 2 0 1 2 Northrop B-2, USAF 89-0127, Northrop B-2, USAF Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, 19th July 1997.jpg 89-0127 Spirit of Kansas, the stealth bomber involved in the accident, seen in 1997 Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Spirit of Kansas United States Air Force 89-0127 Andersen Air Force Base, Guam On 23 February 2008, Spirit of Kansas, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber of the United States Air Force, crashed on the runway moments after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft was destroyed, but both crew members successfully ejected.B-2 Crashes in Guam Key Aero https://www.key.aero/forum/modern-military-aviation/80619-b-2-crashes-in-guam?page=2 20 October 2024 www.key.aero en The accident marked the first operational loss of a B‑2 bomber, and 2026 y remains one of two lost B-2s since another damaged B-2 had to be retired due to uneconomical repair costs after a landing gear collapsed on takeoff resulting in an on-board fire in 2022."USAF Will Retire, Not Repair, Damaged B-2; Fleet Shrinking to 19 Aircraft". Air & Space Forces Magazine. 13 May 2024. With an estimated loss of US$1.4 billion, considering only the cost of the aircraft, it was also the most expensive aircraft crash in history.Whitaker Raymond The Most Expensive Air Crash in History https://www.commondreams.org/news/2008/02/25/most-expensive-air-crash-history 2 January 2020 Common Dreams 25 February 2008 en 2 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200102012819/https://www.commondreams.org/news/2008/02/25/most-expensive-air-crash-history dead Accident On 23 February 2008, a B‑2 crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.Lavitt, Michael O. "B‑2 Crashes on Takeoff From Guam." Aviation Week, 23 February 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20120117150826/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news%2Fb2crsh02238.xml&headline=B-2%20Crashes%20on%20Takeoff%20From%20Guam&channel=defense 17 January 2012 The crash of the Spirit of Kansas, 89-0127, which had been operated by the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and had logged 5,100 flight hours,https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-b-2-stealth-bomber-crash-2018-2%3famp Videos Show a $1.4 Billion Crash of a B-2 Stealth Bomber 10 Years Ago Business Insider 23 February 2021 28 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211228230808/https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-b-2-stealth-bomber-crash-2018-2?amp dead was the first crash of a B‑2.https://www.cnn.com/style/amp/b-2-spirit-stealth-bomber/index.html B-2 Spirit: The $2 billion flying wing CNN 23 January 2020 The two-officer crew (Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grieve) were unable to control the bomber, and as one of its wingtips made contact with the ground, they ejected and survived the crash. The aircraft was destroyed, a total loss estimated at US$1.4 billion, equivalent to around $US-GDP 1407006920 2008 in US-GDP.6 June 2008 Air Force: Moisture caused $1.4 billion bomber crash http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/06/crash.ap/index.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080610054520/http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/06/crash.ap/index.html 10 June 2008 7 June 2008 CNN.com Air Combat Command, Accident Investigation Board, "Summary of Facts", "B-2A, S/N 89-0127, 20080223 KSZL501A"; link: AFD-080605-054 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002933/http://www.glennpew.com/Special/B2Facts.pdf 4 March 2016, hosted by GlenPew.comUS-GDP thumb|right | Video of the aircraft taking off then rolling to the ground. According to the Air Force Times, a private-industry magazine, no munitions were on board."No munitions on board B‑2 that crashed", Air Force Times, 23 February 2008. The Air Combat Command accident board report states that "classified material" had been loaded onto the bomber the morning the aircraft was returning to Whiteman Air Force Base "after a four-month deployment in support of Pacific Air Forces' continuous bomber presence." thumb|right | Close-up view of the forward fuselage after the fire was extinguished At Guam Naval Hospital, one pilot was evaluated and released, and the second was hospitalized. A B‑2 already in the air was called back to Andersen after the crash, where it and the other B‑2s were grounded until the initial investigation into the crash was complete. Six Boeing B‑52s of the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, were deployed to replace the B‑2s.https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23302483 B-2 stealth bomber crashes on Guam NBC News 23 February 2008 22 January 2017 The commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak temporarily suspended flying operations for all 20 remaining B‑2s to review procedures. Harencak termed the suspension a "safety pause" and stated that the B‑2s would resume flying if called upon for immediate operations."B-2 pause", Air Force Times, February 2008. The B‑2 fleet returned to flight status on 15 April 2008.Linch, Stephen. "B-2s return to flight after safety pause", USAF, 21 April 2008. Investigation The findings of the investigation stated that the B‑2 crashed after "heavy, lashing rains" caused moisture to enter skin-flush air-data sensors. The data from the sensors are used to calculate numerous factors including airspeed and altitude. Because three pressure transducers failed to function—attributable to condensation inside devices, not a maintenance error—the flight-control computers calculated inaccurate aircraft angle of attack and airspeed. Incorrect airspeed data on cockpit displays led to the aircraft rotating at 12 kn km/h mph in slower than indicated. After the wheels lifted from the runway, which caused the flight control system to switch to different control laws, the erroneously-sensed negative angle of attack caused the computers to inject a sudden, 1.6 g-force m/s2 on, uncommanded 30-degree pitch-up maneuver. The combination of slow lift-off speed and the extreme angle of attack, with attendant drag, resulted in an unrecoverable stall, yaw, and descent. Both crew members successfully ejected from the aircraft soon after the left wing tip started to gouge the ground alongside the runway. The aircraft hit the ground, tumbled, and burned after its fuel ignited."Moisture confused sensors in B‑2 crash", AirForceTimes, 6 June 2008. https://archive.today/20120719052100/http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_b2_crashreport_060508w/ 19 July 2012 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24992781 Air Force: Sensor Moisture Caused 1st B-2 Crash NBC News 5 June 2008 http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/06/video-stealth-b.html Wired Noah Shachtman Video: Stealth Bomber Crashes 6 June 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20081014194454/http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/06/video-stealth-b.html 14 October 2008 dmy-all In popular culture The events of the Andersen Air Force Base B-2 crash were featured in the 2022 episode "Stealth Bomber Down", of the Canadian documentary TV series Mayday.Stealth Bomber Down List of Mayday episodes#ep193 Mayday Mayday (Canadian TV series) Cineflix Discovery Channel Canada 22 3 2022-01-17 References External links Video of the crash with detailed, technical narration. Category:21st-century military history of the United States Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2008 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Guam Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft Category:2008 in Guam Category:History of Guam Category:February 2008 in the United States Category:Northrop Grumman aircraft