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 U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber crashed last week at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, during the landing phase of a training sortie.
All four aircrew successfully ejected from the aircraft, with one receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Flight operations at Ellsworth AFB are currently paused, and a thorough investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the mishap, a process expected to take weeks to months.

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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.