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2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident

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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.[1][2] The accident marked the first operational loss of a B‑2 bomber, and as of 2024 remains one of two lost B-2s since another damaged B-2 had to be retired due to repair costs after an on-board fire.[3] 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.[4][5]

2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident
The crashed Spirit of Kansas
Accident
Date23 February 2008 (2008-02-23)
SummaryStalled and crashed on take-off
SiteAndersen Air Force Base, Guam
13°35′13″N 144°56′19″E / 13.58694°N 144.93861°E / 13.58694; 144.93861
Aircraft
Aircraft typeNorthrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
Aircraft nameSpirit of Kansas
OperatorUnited States Air Force
Registration89-0127
Flight originAndersen Air Force Base, Guam
DestinationWhiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Occupants2
Crew2
Fatalities0
Injuries1
Survivors2

Accident

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89-0127 Spirit of Kansas, the USAF Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit involved in the accident, seen on 19 July 1997.

On 23 February 2008, a B‑2 crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.[1] 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,[6] was the first crash of a B‑2.[7]

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.[8][9] This is equivalent to $1.96 billion in 2023.[10]

The 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.[11] 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."[9]

 
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.[1][12]

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.[13] The B‑2 fleet returned to flight status on 15 April 2008.[14]

Investigation

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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[9]—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 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) 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 (16 m/s2), 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.[4][9][15][16]

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The crash of Spirit of Kansas was featured on season 22 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, in the episode titled, "Stealth Bomber Down".[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Lavitt, Michael O. "B‑2 Crashes on Takeoff From Guam." Aviation Week, 23 February 2008. Archived 17 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "B-2 Crashes in Guam | Key Aero". www.key.aero. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  3. ^ "USAF Will Retire, Not Repair, Damaged B-2; Fleet Shrinking to 19 Aircraft". Air & Space Forces Magazine. 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Moisture confused sensors in B‑2 crash", AirForceTimes, 6 June 2008. [dead link‍]
  5. ^ Whitaker, Raymond (25 February 2008). "The Most Expensive Air Crash in History". Common Dreams. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Videos Show a $1.4 Billion Crash of a B-2 Stealth Bomber 10 Years Ago". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ^ "B-2 Spirit: The $2 billion flying wing". CNN. 23 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Air Force: Moisture caused $1.4 billion bomber crash". CNN.com. 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  9. ^ a b c d Air Combat Command, Accident Investigation Board, "Summary of Facts", "B-2A, S/N 89-0127, 20080223 KSZL501A"; link: AFD-080605-054 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, hosted by GlenPew.com
  10. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 30 November 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  11. ^ "No munitions on board B‑2 that crashed", Air Force Times, 23 February 2008.
  12. ^ "B-2 stealth bomber crashes on Guam". NBC News. 23 February 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  13. ^ "B-2 pause", Air Force Times, February 2008.
  14. ^ Linch, Stephen. "B-2s return to flight after safety pause", USAF, 21 April 2008. Archived 17 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Air Force: Sensor Moisture Caused 1st B-2 Crash". NBC News. 5 June 2008.
  16. ^ Shachtman, Noah (6 June 2008). "Video: Stealth Bomber Crashes". Wired. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008.
  17. ^ "2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident on IMDb". IMDb.
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