DECEMBER 3, 2025 – Four years ago, a B-2 Spirit, tail number 89-0129, also known as the Spirit of Georgia experienced an incident resulting in significant damage to the bomber and raising serious questions about its future.
What followed was a remarkable display of teamwork, ingenuity, and determination culminating in the aircraft’s return to flight on Nov. 6, 2025.
The Incident and Initial Assessment
The incident occurred on Sept. 14, 2021, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. A hydraulic failure forced an emergency gear extension, and upon landing, a critical mechanical lock on the left main landing gear failed. As a result, the gear collapsed, causing the left wing to scrape along the runway.
“The immediate response by the 509th Maintenance and B-2 System Program Office Engineering team was critical,” said Col. Jason Shirley, Senior Materiel Leader, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s B-2 System Program Office, which led the overall effort to repair the aircraft. “They quickly recovered the aircraft, using airbags to lift it enough to manually lock the main gear and tow it into the hangar. Damage assessments and Non-Destructive Inspections followed, revealing damage primarily concentrated around the left main landing gear bay and lower wing area.”
A Four-Phased Repair Journey
The road to recovery was long and complex. A key early milestone was a one-time ferry flight from Whiteman AFB to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Palmdale, California, where permanent structural repairs and a scheduled Programmed Depot Maintenance cycle were to be completed.
Getting the Spirit of Georgia ready for that flight required extensive inspections and temporary repairs.
Laser dimensional inspections confirmed that critical areas, such as flight control attachment fittings and landing gear bay fittings, remained within acceptable tolerances.
Finite Element Method analysis was then used to evaluate potential ultimate load exceedance on the primary structure and to focus the Non-Destructive Inspection efforts on critical areas of the outboard wing spars. These inspections showed no damage to the outboard wing spars.
The temporary repairs saved the U.S. government an estimated $52 million, shaved nine months off the schedule, and allowed the ferry flight to proceed on September 22, 2022.
The permanent repairs in Palmdale followed a carefully planned four-phased approach, valued at $23.7 million:
- Phase 1: Design the repair and order long-lead materials.
- Phase 2: Conduct test panels to prove the repair concept.
- Phase 3: Repair the aircraft.
- Phase 4: Develop airworthiness artifacts to certify the repairs.
One of the most innovative solutions was the decision to use an existing 8×4 foot composite skin section from Test Article 0998 as a donor part.
This significantly reduced cost and schedule compared to fabricating a new composite skin.
This repair restored functionality to 89-0129’s lower wing skin carrying wing loads, airstream, and internal fuel tank pressures. Additional milestones included replacing the left-hand wingtip, the outboard wing major mate skin panel and the left-hand main landing gear door hinges, repairing composite skin disbonds and rigging the door.
All structural repairs were completed by May 12, 2025.
Engineering Challenges and Innovative Solutions
The repair effort presented numerous engineering and maintenance challenges. One significant hurdle was controlling heat distribution during the composite repair process.
“The distribution of localized heat to the areas needing cure, while maintaining localized control as repair areas were in enclosed, confined spaces and directly adjacent to critical joints and structure was a huge challenge,” said Matt Powers, Structure Engineer with the B-2 System Program Office. “This was overcome by utilizing advanced custom-built heating equipment, performing thermal surveys, and adjusting insulation and cooling air throughout the final cure.”
Another challenge was contamination control.
Repairing composites common to fuel tanks where excessive hydrocarbon and silicone contamination exists is very challenging. The team managed to return these composite bonding surfaces to a near lab-grade cleanliness level prior to applying the repair plies.
Leveraging New Technologies
The repair process provided an opportunity to incorporate new technologies and techniques. Because it was not possible to conduct the repair in an autoclave, which is a specialized container, a new composite resin from another platform was used for the first time on the B-2.
This new resin was already proven for large composite repairs outside of an autoclave. This saved months of schedule and lowered the risk of costly rework.
The new materials and equipment will significantly improve sustainment and modernization work for the fleet, allowing for faster and more cost-effective repairs of composite structures in the future, reducing downtime and extending the lifespan of the fleet.
“Damage to the B-2 AV 89-0129 aircraft was extensive and required unique repairs, including reconstruction of the damaged left wing,” said Jerry Mcbrearty, vice president and B-2 program manager, Northrop Grumman. “Our team developed and applied innovative composite repairs using new scarf repair analysis techniques and processes leveraged from other Northrop Grumman programs.”
Air Force Global Strike Command’s Crucial Role
Air Force Global Strike Command played a critical role in ensuring the success of the project.
“The collaborative efforts of Air Force Global Strike Command’s A4A [Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection] and A5B [Plans and Requirements] divisions were crucial,” emphasized Cindy Connor, Deputy Branch Chief for the Air Vehicle & Systems Management Branch in the B-2 System Program Office. “Air Force Global Strike provided critical response and concurrence on temporary repairs to facilitate the initial ferry flight and programmed and approved an unfunded request for in-depth scarf repairs during depot maintenance.”
The Spirit of Georgia’s Significance and proven value of Global Strike
The successful repair of the aircraft is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit of the entire team involved.
Repairing the aircraft is more than just addressing a single aircraft’s needs, but ensuring seamless integration with ongoing modernization efforts, and ensuring it can continue its crucial role in strategic nuclear deterrence.
The return of the Spirit of Georgia is essential for maintaining the B-2 fleet’s readiness. It enhances the fleet’s operational capabilities and strategic deterrence. The availability and effects of deep penetrating strike make the B-2 one of the most important capabilities in our arsenal. The severe degradation of Iran’s nuclear program and ensuing ceasefire post-Operation Midnight Hammer is proof. More B-2 capacity means more strategic and lethal deterrence options for the President of the United States and Secretary of War.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) is responsible for the total life cycle management of Air Force weapon systems, from their inception to retirement. This includes acquiring, developing, testing, modernizing, and sustaining a wide range of capabilities such as aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic systems, and information technology. AFLCMC is one of six centers within the Air Force Materiel Command.
Story by Brian Brackens
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center