B-1 bomber crashes while trying to land at South Dakota Air Force base. The crew safely ejects

Jan 5, 2024, 12:31 PM

A B-1B Lancer attached to the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, departs for a flyover during the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons vs. University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels football game Nov. 18, 2023. The flyover was piloted by Lt. Col. Ross Hobbs, 34th Bomb Squadron commander and USAFA class of 2006 graduate. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brittany Kenney)

(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brittany Kenney)

BY TARA COPP

WASHINGTON (AP) — A B-1 Lancer bomber from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota crashed while trying to land and all four crew members ejected safely, the Air Force said.

The B-1 was on a training mission when the crash occurred Thursday evening, the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth said in a statement.

Visibility was poor, with freezing temperatures and low clouds, according to automated weather reporting equipment recording airfield conditions. The military is investigating the crash.

Three crew members were treated on base for minor injuries and released, according to a statement Friday. The fourth crew member was at a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The B-1 is a conventional supersonic bomber that first came into service in the 1980s. It has been used to support the U.S. bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region and to conduct close air support missions in U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It does not carry nuclear weapons.

While 100 were originally built, fewer than 60 remain in service at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth.

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