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A B-1B supersonic strategic bomber crashed while attempting to land at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota on Thursday. All four crew members exited the aircraft safely, Ellsworth Air Force Base said in a statement.
The plane crashed in bad weather, with subfreezing temperatures and thick fog that limited visibility, Air & Space Forces Magazine reports. Rescuers said the plane exploded after impact and the wreckage caught fire. The air base then canceled all flights and was closed.
“A B-1B Lancer assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base crashed while attempting to land at approximately 5:50 p.m. today,” the base said. “The aircraft was on a training mission at the time of the accident.” A base spokesman told Air & Space Forces Magazine that he could not provide any further information about the incident at this time.
Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota near Rapid City, Ellsworth Air Force Base is one of two bases dedicated to B-1 bombers. Ellsworth Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Air Force’s 28th Bombardment Wing and operates more than 20 B-1 aircraft, according to the base. The USA has a total of 45 of these bombers in its arsenal. The crew of these aircraft consists of two pilots and two weapons systems officers.
BREAKING: B-1 heavy bomber crashes at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, all four crew members evacuate safely
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 5, 2024
The aircraft was originally designed as a supersonic bomber with variable wing geometry and the ability to carry nuclear weapons. However, after converting to a purely conventional bomber, the fleet has been used heavily in the Middle East and in US military operations in Afghanistan over the past two decades.
In December, a small plane crashed between houses near Paris. Three people were seriously injured:
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