B2 stealth bomber worth $2BN crash lands on runway at Missouri air base after suffering in-flight malfunction: Six mile exclusion and no-fly zone set up
A B2 Spirit stealth bomber, one of the most deadly weapons in the United States' military arsenal and worth $2billion, was damaged after an emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri today.
Officials said that pilots had to land after an in-flight malfunction during a routine training. Nobody was injured and there was no fire once the bomber landed.
The incident involving the B2 happened around 12.30am and unfolded in a temporary flight restriction six miles in all directions and 8,000ft from the ground up set by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA said that the the restriction would allow 'to provide a safe environment for an accident investigation' and is set to be lifted September 17 at 8pm.
Only 21 B2 bombers have ever been manufactured, and there are only 20 remaining after one crashed in Guam in 2008.
It is not know yet to what degree the B2 bomber at Whiteman Base sustained damage. The aircraft has been stationed at the base since 1993, according to KMBC.
Three other B2s from Whiteman were part of a successfully joined operation with the Norwegian government and deployed to Iceland earlier this year.
A B2 Spirit stealth bomber was damaged after an emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri today (File picture)
A temporary flight restriction six miles in all directions and 8,000ft from the ground up has been issued
'A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit experienced and [sic] in-flight malfunction during a routine training mission and was damaged on the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, after an emergency landing,' said Air Force Global Strike Command said to The Drive.
'The incident is under investigation and more information will be provided as it becomes available,' they added.
The B2 is manufactured with materials that could become highly toxic if exposed to an accident, the outlet reported.
Spanning an imposing 170 feet and capable of unleashing awesome destruction, the B2 Spirit aircraft are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.
The model was developed under the Advanced Technology Bomber during Jimmy Carter's administration.
The only crash reported of a B2 bomber happened in 2008, when one aircraft of the model was departing from Guam.
The B2 is manufactured with materials that could become highly toxic if exposed to an accident, the outlet reported. (File picture) A B-2 Spirit bomber deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, conducts aerial refueling near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
At the time of the crash no munitions were on board and the two pilots survived the accident. All remaining 20 B2 were kept from flying for almost two months until an investigation was conducted.
It was found that the crash had been caused by heavy rains that affected sensors in charge of calculating speed and altitude.
In August, two B2s from Whiteman joined other aircraft flying over the North Sea as part of a Bomber Task Force deployment.
The B2s landed in the Keflavik Air Base in Iceland and as part of the joined operation with the Norwegian government also deployed to the UK.
'The mission demonstrates the value of our continued presence and relationships,'
'What our collective Airmen accomplish on these missions is vital to our alliance and maintaining agility as we move into the future,' said Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander.
A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing lifts off of the runway as part of a training mission at Whiteman Air Force Base in 2013
The incident involving the B2 happened around 12.30am at Whiteman Base's only runway
An user on Twitter highlighted that if the B2 had sustained irreparable damage during today's accident, it would leave the Air Force with just 19 remaining aircrafts of the model.
'So that takes us down to 19 of them then...I guess we still have 19 more than everyone else so we're probably doing ok,' they wrote.
The B2 Spirit stealth bomber was designed during the Cold War as the world's first ever 'low-observable or 'stealth' strategic bomber.'
It can deliver both conventional and nuclear ammunition, and brings massive firepower to bear anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses, according to Military.com.
Because of its small size, it's an strategic weapon to filter and penetrate air defenses.
Many details about the B2 design remain classified and have not been revealed to the public, but it is known that the model has a crew of two pilots.
The only crash reported of a B2 bomber happened in 2008, when one aircraft of the model was departing from Guam. It was found that the crash had been caused by heavy rains that affected sensors in charge of calculating speed and altitude
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