PUBLISHED on August 8, 2025, 2:04 PM EDT – Key Points and Summary – A new report has revealed shocking details of a B-2 Spirit bomber crash at Whiteman Air Force Base in 2022.
-The investigation found that a hydraulic system failure led to the left main landing gear collapsing upon touchdown.
-The $300 million stealth bomber then skidded more than 9,000 feet down the runway before its fuel tanks ruptured and burst into flames.
-The report identified “design vulnerabilities” in the landing gear and a delay in applying firefighting foam as key contributing factors to the incident, from which the crew miraculously escaped uninjured.
Report: U.S. B-2 Bomber “Skidded” 9,000 Feet, Burst Into Flames
An investigation has uncovered shocking details of a B-2 Spirit crash at the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri three years ago that caused more than $300 million in damage.
The investigation, detailed in a report from Air Force Global Strike Command published this week, described how a landing gear malfunction caused America’s most recognizable stealth bomber to burst into flames.
According to the report, a B-2 bomber with the call sign DEATH 12 attempted to land after a training mission on December 10, 2022.
It ultimately skidded more than 9,000 feet down a runway following a hydraulic system failure.
The malfunction meant that, upon touchdown, the landing gear “collapsed,” causing the plane to careen down the runway at high speeds.
Incredibly, the aircraft’s crew were uninjured – despite extreme friction causing the B-2’s fuel tanks to leak and catch fire.
“The B-2A sortie was uneventful until the aircraft experienced a hydraulic system failure related to the Main Landing Gear (MLG) during its final approach to land. The aircrew declared an in-flight emergency and followed procedures for an emergency landing gear extension. Upon landing, the Left Main Landing Gear (LMLG) collapsed immediately, causing the left wing to strike the runway and drag for several thousand feet as the aircrew worked to bring the aircraft to a stop,” a press release explains.
The report also confirmed that more than $300 million in damage was caused to the plane’s left wing and landing gear, while the airfield itself was repaired for $27,500.
The investigation also described how the aircraft’s left wingtip had ignited by the time it “came to a stop 9,062 ft down the runway.” The fire reportedly caused the left surge fuel tank to explode, which then caused the left outboard fuel tank to ignite and explode shortly afterwards.
The 2022 incident attracted news headlines at the time, and forced the Missouri base to close its runway for almost two weeks. The crash also resulted in a five-month pause for all B-2 operations.
So what caused the problem? According to the Air Force Global Strike Command’s Accident Investigation Board (AIB), there were two “substantially contributing factors.”
First, “design vulnerabilities” within the aircraft’s Main Landing Gear (MLG) resulted in the lock link assembly moving out of the necessary locked position during an emergency gear extension. Secondly, a delay in the application of Aqueous Film Forming Foam – a firefighting agent specifically designed to combat flammable liquid fires – allowed the flames to spread quickly, causing more damage to the aircraft.
This B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was eventually deemed too damaged and too expensive to fly again.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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