Most Expensive Crash Ever?

[JSLTIGER]

A B-2 stealth bomber crashed at an air base on Guam but both pilots ejected safely and were in good condition, the Air Force said.
Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the wreckage at Andersen Air Force Base, said Geanne Ward, a resident in the northern village of Yigo who was on the base visiting her husband.
Ward said she didn't witness the crash but noticed a rising plume of smoke behind the base's air control tower.
She said crowds began to gather as emergency vehicles arrived Saturday morning local time.
"Everybody was on their cell phones, and the first thing everyone wanted to know was did the pilots make it out in time," she said.
A board of officers will investigate the accident.
Each B-2 bomber costs about $1.2 billion to build. All 21 stealth bombers are based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri but the Air Force has been rotating several of them through Guam since 2004, along with B-1 and B-52 bombers.
The rotations are designed to boost the U.S. security presence in the Asia-Pacific region while other U.S. forces diverted to fight in the Middle East.
The accident occurred 11 days after a Navy plane crashed into the ocean about 20 miles northeast of Guam's Ritidian Point. Four aircrew members ejected from the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft and were rescued by helicopter.
Guam is a U.S. territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.


Talk about some expensive pilot error...these guys won't be flying anything ever again...

[Kapitan_Phillips]

A B-2 stealth bomber crashed at an air base on Guam but both pilots ejected safely and were in good condition, the Air Force said.
Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the wreckage at Andersen Air Force Base, said Geanne Ward, a resident in the northern village of Yigo who was on the base visiting her husband.
Ward said she didn't witness the crash but noticed a rising plume of smoke behind the base's air control tower.
She said crowds began to gather as emergency vehicles arrived Saturday morning local time.
"Everybody was on their cell phones, and the first thing everyone wanted to know was did the pilots make it out in time," she said.
A board of officers will investigate the accident.
Each B-2 bomber costs about $1.2 billion to build. All 21 stealth bombers are based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri but the Air Force has been rotating several of them through Guam since 2004, along with B-1 and B-52 bombers.
The rotations are designed to boost the U.S. security presence in the Asia-Pacific region while other U.S. forces diverted to fight in the Middle East.
The accident occurred 11 days after a Navy plane crashed into the ocean about 20 miles northeast of Guam's Ritidian Point. Four aircrew members ejected from the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft and were rescued by helicopter.
Guam is a U.S. territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.


Talk about some expensive pilot error...these guys won't be flying anything ever again...


Depends what caused the crash in the first place. Was it pilot error or electronic futz-up?

[JSLTIGER]

They haven't said yet, but I don't see how the USAF is going to let anyone lose a $1.2 billion aircraft twice.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Did the same pilots lose two planes? In that case, maybe they will be relegated :huh:

[nikimcbee]

I guess their insurance rates are going up next month:dead:

[AkbarGulag]

Just hope it's an electronic failure, at least for the pilots sakes. But being so close to the airstrip when it happened? Well, even if they did stuff up, main thing is their alive.

[Konovalov]

They haven't said yet, but I don't see how the USAF is going to let anyone lose a $1.2 billion aircraft twice.

Huh? :-? From the reports that I have read this is the first time a B2 has been crashed and lost.

[JSLTIGER]

They haven't said yet, but I don't see how the USAF is going to let anyone lose a $1.2 billion aircraft twice.
Huh? :-? From the reports that I have read this is the first time a B2 has been crashed and lost.
Perhaps I should have phrased that differently...I don't see how the USAF is going to allow these pilots to be in a position where they could crash a second B-2.

I wish that they would release which B-2 it was (they all have names). I was fortunate enough to witness the flight of the Spirit of Pennsylvania when they named it at Willow Grove, PA back in 1997. It flew only a couple hundred feet overhead and did a barrel roll right over my head. Probably the most impressive thing I've ever seen.

[Konovalov]

Perhaps I should have phrased that differently...I don't see how the USAF is going to allow these pilots to be in a position where they could crash a second B-2.
Ok, much clearer now. :up:

I wish that they would release which B-2 it was (they all have names). I was fortunate enough to witness the first flight of the Spirit of Pennsylvania when they named it at Willow Grove, PA. It flew only a couple hundred feet overhead and did a barrel roll right over my head. Probably the most impressive thing I've ever seen.
Now you are just showing off. :lol: Right now I envy you. Wish I could see and photo one over here in the UK.

[DeepIron]

Wish I could see and photo one over here in the UK.
Kinda defeats the "steath" part ya think? :smug:

[XabbaRus]

If it wasn't pilot error and a technical glitch I can see no reason for putting the crew back on flight status and in another B-2.

[Steel_Tomb]

I've seen one too, but it was a thousand feet or so in the air. Was over the UK too which I found really surprising. I wasn't mistaken either, close inspection with a pair of bino's confirmed it was a B-2! I was really really surprised.

[goldorak]

How about start developing new generation bombers that don't cost 1.2 billion dollars each ? The problem of having such costly bombers is twofold : first your fleet is very very little (I don't think 30 B-2 even exist) and second each unit you loose impacts financially and operationally on your fleet.
It has no economic nor rationale sense.
Tell me one thing that a B-2 can do that isn't possibile with a B-52 ?
Using a B-2 is like using the shuttle for putting a satellite into leo. Completely useless when their is alternative tecnology or existing tecnology that does the same thing for a fraction of the cost.

[Tchocky]

I wish that they would release which B-2 it was (they all have names). I was fortunate enough to witness the flight of the Spirit of Pennsylvania when they named it at Willow Grove, PA back in 1997. It flew only a couple hundred feet overhead and did a barrel roll right over my head. Probably the most impressive thing I've ever seen. Last October I was walking home on an overcast day, heard an aircraft, and looked up. A B-2, banking lightly, skimmed out of the cloud cover for about three seconds, then slid back in. I'd say it was only a few thousand feet up.
I looked around the street, nobody else seemd to have noticed. Took me a while to realise it had actually happened :)

[JSLTIGER]

I don't think 30 B-2 even exist
There were 21, now 20.


Tell me one thing that a B-2 can do that isn't possibile with a B-52 ?

Penetrate enemy airspace, drop bombs and leave all undetected.

[Tchocky]

How about start developing new generation bombers that don't cost 1.2 billion dollars each ? The problem of having such costly bombers is twofold : first your fleet is very very little (I don't think 30 B-2 even exist) and second each unit you loose impacts financially and operationally on your fleet.
It has no economic nor rationale sense. Well, the high per-unit cost of a B-2 isnt an accurate representation of what goes into the plane. The plane was designed to take out mobile ICBM's, and once the threat vanished, the planned 200-or so bombers were cut back to 12. If the original number was produced, R&D costs would be assimilated into a wider fleet rather than just 12, so you wouldn't have a billion-dollar aircraft.

[Sea Demon]

If it wasn't pilot error and a technical glitch I can see no reason for putting the crew back on flight status and in another B-2.

I'm not sure how it works in the B-2 community. It may be different due to the nature of the aircraft, and how small the B-2 fleet is. But in ACC tactical aircraft wings, this is normally how it goes. On my last duty assignment when I worked in the OSS, there was somebody reassigned there until an investigation board was complete from a mishap they were involved in. From what I observed, it was a long process. This is individual got to return to normal flight status as they ruled the mishap was caused by a fault in the aircrafts brake system. This person was unable to bring their aircraft to a complete stop at the end of the runway after an aborted takeoff causing significant damage to the aircraft. To this day, I don't know why that guy aborted his take-off as he wasn't allowed to talk about it. But the board ruled it justified. And found that there were faults in the aircraft preventing successful pilot interaction.

[Iceman]

Some of the comments here seem to assume the captains should have gone down with the ship because it costs a billion bucks...bullocks. Freaking flying 2 and 3 story buildings would be easier and have more glide. Probably have seconds to decide "do I try to save the plane or go down with it?".The training they must go thru I would think makes them more valuable assets than the actual plane.

:lost:

[em2nought]

I bet the Air Force asks for additional money to replace it. :damn:

[JSLTIGER]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years.

[goldorak]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years.

:hmm: So what america's next strategic bomber ?
After the B-52, after the B-1 and after the B-2 is there anything else cooking.....

[sonar732]

Living in Central MO, I have the pleasure of seeing more B-2's fly overhead than I can remember. :up::rock:

[Tchocky]

I wish that they would release which B-2 it was (they all have names).
Heard it's the Spirit of Kansas

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/b2crsh02238.xml&headline=B-2%20Crashes%20on%20Takeoff%20From%20Guam&channel=defense

[JSLTIGER]

I wish that they would release which B-2 it was (they all have names). Heard it's the Spirit of Kansas
Interesting...Spirit of Kansas was almost dead center in terms of production...

[fatty]

One did a fly-over at an air show here in 2006. It was only a few hundred feet above but remarkably, it was completely silent until it was directly overhead. Incredible machines. Still, I bet a space shuttle blowing up is more expensive.

[Wreford-Brown]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years.

:hmm: So what america's next strategic bomber ?
After the B-52, after the B-1 and after the B-2 is there anything else cooking.....

Does America need another strategic bomber.
There are armed UAVs over Iraq and Afghanistan that are relatively small, reasonably stealthy and carry a decent payload. The pilot 'flies' the aircraft from a control room in the US and if it gets shot down you don't lose the expensive pilot.

I wonder how many UAVs you can get for $1.2bn...

[HunterICX]

Thats gotta Hurt in the walleter for sure :o
good that the pilots bailed out on time.

HunterICX

[em2nought]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years. Cost too much, bah. Nothing costs too much for these people. Maybe they'll start making them again just so they don't forget how, sort of like nuclear submarines.

[grant977]

*** em2nought I will not let you insult the USAF or my country like that without any response. While I will agree that these weapons are expensive, and hard to keep up. I will not tolerate you branding the US or USAF as some kind of childern who must have the biggest toys. The US armed forces are good and dedicated people who deserve respect just like anyone who sacrafices for the sake of thier homeland.

[bradclark1]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years.

:hmm: So what america's next strategic bomber ?
After the B-52, after the B-1 and after the B-2 is there anything else cooking.....
As long as the B-52 airframe holds up they won't be going anywhere. The plane itself might be old but it's all modern inside.

[bookworm_020]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years. Cost too much, bah. Nothing costs too much for these people. Maybe they'll start making them again just so they don't forget how, sort of like nuclear submarines.

All the jigs and equipment were preserved, so that they could restart production again if needed. 1 of the B2's was a test aircraft that they restored to combat.

There has been proposals for new aircraft, but the fighting is over what they should do. Some want stealth, and nothing but stealth. Others want capacity, stuff the fact that it has a radar sig the size of a barn.

The best option would be a mix, 1/3 your force stealth, when you want to send bad guys a message that there is nowhere to hide and nothing will protect you. 2/3 Large bomb carrier (B-52, 747 conversion???) when tonnage counts and you want to advertise!:rock:

[nikimcbee]

Doubt it...it would cost to much to start the production line up again...especially since it's been closed for more than 10 years.

I didn't know that, I geuss it is a little pricey.

[em2nought]

*** em2nought I will not let you insult the USAF or my country like that without any response. While I will agree that these weapons are expensive, and hard to keep up. I will not tolerate you branding the US or USAF as some kind of childern who must have the biggest toys. The US armed forces are good and dedicated people who deserve respect just like anyone who sacrafices for the sake of thier homeland. If I'd insult anyone it would be Democrats, Republicans, lobbyists, and yeah maybe the Joint Chiefs. Having served for a few years I think I can say what I want on this matter. Just hope they don't find some poor enlisted soul to blame this on, but that would be the Navy. lol

[Konovalov]

Check out the story over at Defence News. (http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3391444&c=AME&s=TOP)


The fleet of 20 remaining B-2s is not grounded, but Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak, the 509th Bomb Wing commander, ordered the safety pause to allow the unit to review procedures, said 509th spokesman 1st Lt. Matt Miller.

[Rotary Crewman]

Still no word on the cause then?

[JSLTIGER]

Certainly doesn't sound like they have determined one yet...

[geetrue]

I don't want to be a scare mongrel, but I think the B-2 was built to be used.

Meaning we don't need a replacement ... :hmm: