B-1 bomber crash report blasts crew mistakes, culture of ‘complacency’
By Stephen Losey
Jul 25, 2024, 12:00 PM
A B-1B Lancer bomber that crashed while landing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, on Jan. 4, 2024, skidded 5,000 feet and then erupted into flames. The nearly $451 million bomber was a total loss. (Air Force)
The crew of a B-1B Lancer that crashed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in January failed to properly manage the bomber’s airspeed and angle of approach while landing, a scathing accident investigation board report found.
The investigation, which Air Force Global Strike Command released on July 25, also found that poor weather conditions, a lack of discipline, poor resource management and communication, and “an organizational culture that tolerated decaying airmanship skills” were among the other factors contributing to the Jan. 4 crash.
The report, signed by accident investigation board president Col. Erick Lord, criticized the 34th Bomb Squadron’s alleged lack of effective supervision of flying operations, and the 28th Operations Support Squadron’s alleged failure to communicate airfield and weather conditions, which “all speak to culture and leadership issues.” Investigators also said they found “unsatisfactory levels of basic airmanship” at the 34th.
“Many failures leading to this mishap were not a one-time occurrence or an aberration,” the report concluded. “The mishap occurred due to numerous factors, including a culture of noncompliance, widespread deviation from established policy and procedure, and several organizational influences and preconditions.”
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/07/25/b-1-bomber-crash-report-blasts-crew-mistakes-culture-of-complacency/
