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The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is an elusive creature.
Despite being a 172-foot-wide vehicle, this model can sneak past enemy air defenses with
the same radar signature of a small bird.
The stealth bomber has roamed the skies since 1997, taking part in operations in Kosovo,
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
But despite participating in some of the most important conflicts of the 21st century, spotting
a stealth bomber is quite rare, and there are only 20 models in existence.
Still, in September of 2021, a B-2 model mysteriously crashed on the side of a runway and was captured
on satellite by Google Maps, proving that not even the stealthiest and most expensive
aircraft in the Air Force arsenal can hide from the internet…
Capturing the elusive B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on Google Maps proves that sometimes even
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Google Maps Bomber Crash
In the early morning of September 14, 2021, a single B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber
was involved in a crash that ended with the aircraft laying on the side of the runway
at Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the stealth bomber force in Missouri.
While details of the occurrence remain classified, an Air Force Global Strike Command spokeswoman
issued a statement regarding the events, citing that: [QUOTE] "A United States Air Force B-2
Spirit experienced and [sic] in-flight malfunction during a routine training mission and was
damaged on the runway [...] after an emergency landing."
The spokeswoman confirmed there were no injuries and that a fire didn’t ignite, as the aircraft
was not carrying any live munitions.
Immediately after the incident, the Air Force issued a temporary flight restriction order
over and around Whiteman base, encompassing a six-mile radius.
A notice was also issued to all the airmen from the Air Force Global Strike Command restricting
the airspace for two weeks to provide a safe environment for a prosperous accident investigation.
Google Maps
A few months later, Google Maps photos of the incident made their rounds online, bringing
attention to the case again.
A photograph initially posted on Reddit shows the aircraft mostly intact, resting in a grass
midfield, with possible signs of having dug into the ground with one wing.
With the stealth bomber's intakes and exhausts covered and with other vehicles in sight,
it is clear that Google Maps captured the moment once the recovery effort involving
many staff and vehicles was underway.
According to several aviation aficionados, the B-2 in question may have experienced a
hydraulic failure mid-flight and had its main landing gear collapse during the landing maneuver,
sending the aircraft off the runway with its wing digging into the ground as it stopped.
While this explanation cannot be officially confirmed, the satellite image concurs with
the wing-down aspect of the supposed incident.
The total damage to the aircraft also remains unknown.
The Stealth Bomber
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is a heavy strategic bomber built during the Cold War
that uses stealth technology to fly through enemy anti-aircraft defenses.
According to former pilot William Langewiesche in an article written in 2018 for The Atlantic,
the Spirit, often nicknamed The Stealth Bomber, is: [QUOTE] "Made to defeat the world's most
advanced air-defense systems.
In addition to its conventional navigational capabilities, it has autonomous systems that
operate independently from any ground- or space-based transmitters."
Complete with a bed, a toilet, and even a microwave for the two-person crew, these features
come with a price, as the B-2 is also the most expensive bomber in history.
Total procurement costs averaged 929 million dollars per aircraft in 1997 currency, including
spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support.
The hefty price tag caused the Air Force to reduce an order of 132 to only 21, which later
became 20 when one crashed in 2008 in Guam.
Operational Service
After entering service in 1997, the type became the second aircraft in the world designed
to have stealth technology after the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.
The Stealth Bomber was first used in combat while dropping non-nuclear ordnance in the
1999 Kosovo War and has since served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
So far, none have been shot down in combat.
Going back to their introduction, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri has been the home
base of all the service's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
Apart from the occasional air show, sightings of the Stealth Bomber are rare as there are
so few in service.
In addition, the precise details of this low-density, high-value strategic asset remains highly
classified.
However, as part of the exclusive stealth technology climb, the aircraft is most likely
built and coated with unique composite materials that can be highly toxic if damaged, making
the precautions taken by the Air Force after the 2021 incident unsurprising.
The United States Air Force plans to operate the 20 active B-2s until the early 2030s,
when the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider advanced long-range, large heavy-payload aircraft will
take over the stealth intercontinental strategic bomber role.
B-2 Sightings
The world's most expensive stealth bombers may be good at hiding from even the most modern
enemy detection systems.
Still, even one of the most stealthy pieces of technology in the Pentagon's arsenal can't
hide from the ever-prying eyes of Google Earth.
Only three months after the September 2021 incident, Google’s satellite cameras captured
a screenshot of another stealth bomber flying over a large field in Missouri.
The photo was found and posted by a Reddit user, and the image has since racked up more
than 111,000 upvotes, as well as countless comments from users amused by the strange
discovery.
The blurry multicolored look at the Spirit Bomber in the photo resulted from the way
the satellite cameras separately captured photos for the red, green, and blue channels
before combining them into a single full-color image.
Still, spotting a B-2 Bomber flying over rural Missouri is not that surprising, as the Google
Maps photo was taken only 20 miles away from Whiteman Air Force Base.
The Truth
In March of 2022, the Air Force Global Strike Command released a report on the investigation
behind the crash landing incident of 2021.
According to the statement, old springs installed in the B-2 callsign Spirit of Georgia led
to a left main landing gear collapse while landing on the runway at the base.
The report reads: [QUOTE] “The Abbreviated Accident Investigation Board President found,
by a preponderance of the evidence, the cause of the mishap was that the Mishap Aircraft’s
Left Main Landing Gear lock link springs failed to provide sufficient pressure to maintain
the lock links in the locked position, which resulted in a LMLG collapse during the MA’s
landing.”
During the flight, the springs that caused the left landing gear to break down were later
found to produce 11 percent less tension than they should have and were likely obsolete.
As a consequence of the sudden collapse, the stealth bomber skidded off the runway until
it came to a full stop only one mile from the touchdown point, dragging the wing along
the runway.
While preliminary estimates put the cost of repairing the Stealth Bomber at a minimum
of 10.1 million dollars, a further assessment will determine the final number.
While the report doesn't state how long the repair process will take, fixing the world's
most expensive bomber is definitely doable.
In the mid-2010s, another B-2 was heavily damaged by fire but was able to fly again
after four years.
The only total loss for the B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber remains the one that crashed
on departure from Guam in 2008.
With no operational models on display and scarce public appearances, Google Maps may
be the only place where this iconic bomber is constantly spotted.
Thanks for watching!
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