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B-2s Ready to Fly and Fight

Air Safety Week, April 28, 2008

B-2 Spirit stealth bombers made a successful return to flight April 15 after a 53-day safety pause for the aircraft following the first-ever crash of a stealth bomber Feb. 23 in Guam.

While an accident investigation board is still ongoing, Air Force maintenance and safety experts gave 509th Bomb Wing officials the green light to fly.

"We definitely wanted our return to flying to be deliberate and safe," said USAF Brig. Gen. Gary Harencak, the 509th Bomb Wing commander.

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B-2s have been flying almost 20 years and are renowned in the Air Force for their unprecedented safety record." In the history of aviation, there's never been an aircraft with a safety record like the B-2," he said. "These bombers combined have a logged more than 14,000 sorties, 100 combat sorties and 75,000 flying hours without a single Class A mishap until now." A Class A mishap is when there is loss of life or damage in excess of $1 million.

The B-2 that crashed, named the Spirit of Kansas, had logged more than 5,000 flight hours and 1,036 sorties before Feb. 23, and it was "renowned in the maintenance community for being a great jet," said Col. Bob Dulong, the 509th Maintenance Group commander.

Government Industry

B-2s Ready to Fly and Fight

Air Safety Week, April 28, 2008

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