JULY 29, 2024 – Air Force Global Strike Command announced the results of its accident investigation today into the Jan. 4 crash of a B-1B bomber at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.
All four crew members, assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, were able to eject from the aircraft during the crash. Two sustained injuries during the ejection sequence and were medically treated and released.
The accident occurred during the landing sequence following a training flight with another B-1B, also stationed at Ellsworth AFB.
As the two aircraft returned from the training mission, both aircraft conducted low visibility approaches due to low cloud decks.
The first aircraft landed uneventfully with dense fog covering the airfield.
The second aircraft attempted to land but struck the ground short of the runway and began skidding across the overrun before coming to a stop between two taxiways.
The aircraft caught fire, resulting in a complete loss of the $450 million dollar bomber.
The investigation board president identified multiple factors that contributed to the accident, with the primary cause being a failure by the crew to properly manage the aircraft’s airspeed and angle of approach.
Changes in local wind direction during landing should have prompted the crew to adjust throttles and maintain proper airspeed, but a lack of situational awareness and ineffective crew communication resulted in the aircraft falling below required airspeed to maintain a safe approach.
The board president also identified several substantial contributing factors, including poor crew resource management, poor weather conditions, ineffective flight operations supervision, a lack of awareness of airfield conditions, and an organizational culture that tolerated decaying airmanship skills, a lack of discipline, poor communication, and inadequate focus on regulations.
The chain of command is in the process of responding to the report and taking the appropriate corrective actions.
The investigation report is posted on the Air Force Judge Advocate General Accident Investigation Board website at https://www.afjag.af.mil/Portals/77/4JAN24%20AFGSC%20Ellsworth%20AFB%20AIB%20Report_pdf.pdf.
Story by Staff Sgt. Shelby Thurman
Air Force Global Strike Command