Image source: topwar.ru
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, citing a report from the US Air Force, a malfunction of the hydraulic system caused an accident in December 2022, as a result of which an inconspicuous B-2 Spirit strategic bomber burned down beyond repair at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
The report says that due to a hydraulic malfunction, the bomber's left main landing gear failed, causing it to roll off the runway. The left wing dragged hundreds of meters across the ground, causing flames that led to an explosion of the fuel tank, destroying most of the left side of the aircraft. No one was injured in the accident.
Firefighters then delayed extinguishing the fire with aqueous film-forming foam because they were not sure whether it was safe to use this substance on the "exotic" materials from which the B-2 was constructed, Air & Space Forces Magazine notes.
The Air Force decided that repairing the damage would be too expensive, and the plane was written off. As a result of the incident, the only runway at Whiteman Base was closed for ten days while experts collected evidence and put things in order.
The publication recalls that another B-2 suffered a similar accident in September 2021, when its left landing gear broke during an emergency landing at the same Whiteman base. The Air Force decided to repair that plane. The cost of each B-2 exceeds $2 billion.
Image source: topwar.ru
