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Old June 7th 08, 06:02 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Larry Dighera
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Default B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Crash Video

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 07:57:57 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:

On Jun 7, 12:27*am, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:20:34 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:

On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...Video_B2Spirit...
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18


"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."


"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."


Pilot error?


* * The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
* * runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
* * 75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
* * injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
* * fractures to his spine.

* * The report points to the inaccurate readings as contributing
* * factors, adding that ineffective communication of critical
* * information about a technique used to remove moisture from the
* * sensors also contributed. It's possible that all the pilots had to
* * do to avert the accident was turn on the pitot heat prior to
* * performing air data calibrations. But the suggested technique was
* * not part of checklist procedures.

It sounds more like an incomplete checklist. *- Hide quoted text -


At the 2:00 mark of the video you posted, it states...

"Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grief? were warned by master
caution light and flight controls systems caution 19 seconds after
brake release while on take-off roll...". It then goes on to say that
the warnings were rescinded after 6 seconds.


A little after that it indicates that the ground crew was supposed to
know about using pitot heat before performing their system checks, but
that information wasn't provided to this particular ground crew.


I guess they should add to checklist...

"Step 38...when flying $1.4 billion aircraft and computer warns you
that something is wrong, listen to it."


What you suggest that the pilots may have done as a result of that
computer warning?