B-2 flights suspended following crash

[unhappycamper]

Safety pause
20 remaining stealth bombers not supposed to fly.


B-2 flights suspended following crash
Staff and wire reports
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 6:00:44 EST

All B-2 Spirit flying operations have been temporarily suspended while investigators examine why a B-2 slammed into the runway Saturday at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, shortly after it took off, officials said.

The fleet of 20 remaining B-2’s is not grounded, but Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak, the 509th Bomb Wing commander, ordered the safety pause to allow the unit to review procedures, said 509th spokesman 1st Lt. Matt Miller.

“A safety pause is the most prudent thing to do after something like this,” he said.

Both pilots ejected safely Saturday, though one was being transferred to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu to be treated for a spinal compression, said Tech. Sgt. Tom Czerwinski, a Pacific Air Force’s command spokesman.

The B-2 that crashed, which had 5,100 flight hours, was one of four scheduled to return Saturday to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., where the 509th and all B-2s are stationed. The four B-2s were deployed to Andersen on a four month tour. Until the end of the pause, the three surviving B-2s will remain in Guam, Miller said.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_b2_crash_022508w/

[hobbit709]

1. The equipment is like the troops

Vastly overworked without enough downtime for R&R and overhaul and maintenance. Murphy rules the universe and something will start to give. Stress a human or a machine long enough and you get failure of some sort.