Old, weak landing gear springs led to a B-2’s $10M skid off the runway
By Stephen Losey
Mar 17, 05:52 PM
The B-2 Spirit aircraft, “Spirit of Georgia,” taxis at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, July 30, 2021. In September, the bomber suffered a mishap due to its landing gear malfunctioning. (Paul Shirk/Air Force)
Weak springs in a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber led to the collapse of its left landing gear and a skid off the runway as it was touching down at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, in September, an Air Force investigation found.
The two key springs in the bomber’s collapsed left main landing gear didn’t provide enough pressure to keep it in its locked position, according to an accident investigation report that Air Force Global Strike Command released to the public Thursday.
The failure of these springs was the primary cause of the mishap, according to the Jan. 12 report from the investigation board, headed by Col. Robert Cocke.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/03/17/old-weak-landing-gear-springs-led-to-a-b-2s-10m-skid-off-the-runway/
