Air Force B-1B Crash Probe to Take 'Weeks to Months to Complete'

Flight operations were paused at the South Dakota air base amid the ongoing investigation into what caused the mishap.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 02:41 PM ET

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A B-1 bomber touches down at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, July 25, 2016. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

A B-1B Lancer crashed at Ellsworth AFB last week during the landing phase of a training sortie.
All four aircrew ejected safely, with one sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
An Air Force investigation is underway to determine the cause, which could take weeks to months to complete.
Flight operations at Ellsworth AFB are currently paused while safety procedures are assessed.

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It could be months before the Air Force knows what caused a B-1B Lancer to crash at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, last week, according to a top service commander.

The mishap occurred Thursday afternoon, as two Air Force B-1Bs assigned to the air base conducted a local training sortie as a formation.