B-1B Crash Report Made Public

A B-1B Lancer crash in South Dakota earlier this year has brought to light serious issues within the training and culture at Ellsworth Air Force Base. This particular B-1B Lancer, valued at over $450 million, missed the runway by 100 feet on January 4, leading to a crash that investigators have linked to aircrew shortcomings and a poor training culture within the units at the base.

The crash investigation report, shared with Military.com, highlighted several critical factors contributing to the crash. Among these were a failure to perform standard crew resource management, adverse weather conditions, ineffective flying operations supervision, lack of situational awareness, and an overall unhealthy organizational culture that allowed a degradation of airmanship skills.

The incident caused significant disruption at Ellsworth Air Force Base, temporarily shutting down its runway and relocating about 250 crew members and Lancers to Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. The crash itself was catastrophic: the B-1B Lancer, on a training mission, crashed 100 feet short of the runway, skidded over 5,000 feet, and was then engulfed in flames. While the four crew members ejected, two suffered injuries that required medical attention.

The damage to the aircraft and runway was estimated at over $456 million. The investigation report also noted that one injured crew member was not wearing all the proper flight equipment, and another was significantly above the weight limit for the ejection seat, contributing to the severity of their injuries.

Talk about a lack of leadership. The crew wasn’t utilizing the correct equipment and it would appear one of the members was not meeting physical fitness standards.

The crash occurred during low-visibility conditions with dense fog. While the first Lancer successfully landed, the second failed due to improper management of the aircraft’s airspeed and approach angle. Changes in wind direction during landing should have prompted the crew to adjust throttles, but poor situational awareness and ineffective communication led to the crash.

Col. Erick Lord, president of the accident board investigation, criticized the crew’s performance and highlighted systemic issues within the 34th Bomb Squadron and the 28th Operations Support Squadron at Ellsworth. He pointed to a lack of discipline, inadequate focus on basic airmanship skills, failure to properly identify and mitigate risks, and ineffective communication and supervisory oversight as contributing factors.

Retired Col. J.F. Joseph, an aviation consultant and former Marine Corps pilot, noted that the report’s focus on safety culture is significant. He suggested that the statements about supervisory errors reflect a broader cultural problem at the base.

Air Force Global Strike Command has stated that the chain of command is responding to the report and taking appropriate corrective actions. The last B-1B crash occurred over a decade ago in August 2013, when a Lancer from Ellsworth crashed near Broadus, Montana, causing fire damage and totaling the aircraft. The crew members survived that incident after ejecting.

 

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