A B-1B Lancer aircraft crash in South Dakota earlier this year has been attributed in part to the aircrew’s errors and a poor training culture at Ellsworth Air Force Base, according to a recent investigation report obtained by specialist publication Military.com.
The plane, valued at over $450 million, was on a training mission with another Lancer aircraft on January 4. Both approached the runway in low visibility with dense fog. While one aircraft landed successfully, the second crashed about 100 feet short of the runway, skidded over 5,000 feet, and burst into flames.
All four crew members were ejected, with two suffering injuries. They were treated and later released, according to Air Force Global Strike Command, which commissioned the crash investigation report, Military.com reports. The plane was destroyed, and the damage to the aircraft and the runway was estimated to exceed $456 million.
The report cited “a failure by the crew to properly manage the aircraft’s airspeed and angle of approach,” the outlet reported.
It also reportedly highlighted a “failure to perform standard crew resource management” as a key factor in the crash. Adverse weather conditions, ineffective flying operations supervision, lack of awareness, and “an unhealthy organizational culture that permitted degradation of airmanship skills” were also cited as contributing factors.
Additional factors also contributed to the crew members’ injuries, per the report, which found that one member’s weight exceeded the ejection seat’s recommended limit of 211 pounds and the Air Force’s recommendation of 245 pounds. The other member was reportedly not wearing all the correct equipment.
Col. Erick Lord, president of the accident board investigation, wrote in the report suggesting the issues point to larger cultural problems within the squad.
“The preponderance of the evidence revealed an ineffective and unhealthy culture, which directly contributed to the mishap,” Lord reportedly wrote. He cited a discipline, inadequate focus on basic airmanship skills, and failure to properly identify and mitigate risk among the teams involved in the crash.
Newsweek has reached out to Ellsworth Air Force Base for comment.
Retired Col. J.F. Joseph, a Marine Corps pilot and aviation consultant, told Military.com that the crew members could face various punishments or administrative actions following the report, but that the systemic issues seemed to be the focus of the investigation.
Air Force Global Strike Command told the outlet the chain of command is “in the process of responding to the report and taking the appropriate corrective actions.”
The outlet reports that the last time a B-1B crashed was in August 2013, when a Lancer from Ellsworth crashed near Broadus, Montana, causing fire damage to private property and totaling the aircraft. Crew members aboard ejected and survived that incident.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
