A U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber, operated by 37th BS / 28th BW, crashed during landing at Ellsworth AFB (RCA/KRCA), Rapid City, South Dakota. The four crew members ejected safely and the aircraft caught fire and was written off.
The B-1 crashed “at approximately 5:50 p.m. today while attempting to land on the installation,” the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth said in a statement.
“At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission. There were four aircrew on board. All four ejected safely.”
The incident occurred during poor weather in below-freezing temperatures with dense fog and limited visibility.
The B-1 is a conventional supersonic bomber that first came into service in the 1980s. It has been used to support the U.S. bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region and to conduct close air support missions in U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It does not carry nuclear weapons.
Introduced in the 1980s, the B-1 is a conventional supersonic bomber that has contributed to the U.S. bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region and played vital roles in providing close air support during U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It’s important to note that this aircraft does not carry nuclear armaments.
Although originally 100 were manufactured, fewer than 60 are presently operational, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base.
