Details are Limited, No Injuries Reported

The Air Force is investigating the emergency landing of a B-2 stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on September 14th.

An Air Force Global Strike Public Affairs unit said the aircraft had to land around 12:30 a.m. after an "in-flight malfunction" during a routine training mission. "There were no personnel injuries and no fire associated with the landing," said Jennifer Greene, a spokeswoman for Air Force Global Strike Public Affairs. "The incident is under investigation and more information will be provided as it becomes available." The exact circumstances surrounding the bomber’s landing and the extent of the damage remain unclear. 

The B-2 bomber fleet has remained stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base ever since Dec. 17, 1993. The B-2 bomber is a heavy strategic bomber that was designed during the Cold War and supports a crew of two. The bomber can deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as up to eighty 500-pound class Mk 82 JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400-pound B83 nuclear bombs.

The B-2 is the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration. There have only ever been 21 of these aircraft produced, and after losing one over ten years ago, the Air Force now operates 20. 

Although the production numbers were small, many people will recognize the B-2 from movies such as “Independence Day,” “Armageddon,” “Iron Man 2,” “Cloverfield,” “Airplanes,” “Rampage” and, most recently, “Captain Marvel,” according to Northrop Grumman.

A NOTAM was published on September 14th until September 17th to “provide a safe environment for accident investigation” for the area around the emergency landing.

FMI: https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/air/b-2-stealth-bomber