On February 27, local time, the United States said that a B-52H strategic bomber was forced to make an emergency landing in the middle of the flight in recent days.
Russia's Sputnik news agency quoted a spokesman for the US Minot Air Force Base as saying that on the 23rd, the bomber took off from the base with one engine in the air and was forced to make an emergency landing at the base at noon. After the plane landed, the fire was extinguished, and the crew did not **.
The military is investigating the incident.
U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber at a space show in Malaysia on March 18, 2015.
The B-52 strategic bomber is a "classic aircraft", which began to enter service in the 50s of the last century and is still the main bomber of the US military. It has 8 engines and can carry both conventional and nuclear. The U.S. military intends to continue to upgrade this type of bomber and enter service until about 2060.
The Air Force Times** reported that 76 B-52 bombers are still in service with the U.S. military. The last Class 1 accident occurred in the 2018 fiscal year. In FY2020, there were three second-degree accidents involving this type of aircraft. A Class 1 accident is defined as the death or permanent disability of a crew member or the loss of more than $2.5 million to the aircraft.
On January 4 this year, a U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bomber crashed during landing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, and four crew members ejected and parachuted out.
*: CCTV News.