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As of 12-31-08
Fox News Channel just reported that an Air Force B-1B “Lancer” Bomber has crashed in Qatar.
Though little information is available at this time, count on me to publish the details as soon as they become available.
As a former Air Force public affairs officer who dealt with more than a dozen aircraft crashes during nearly seven years in uniform, I’m familiar with the process of information collection and dissemination used by the Air Force — and, trust me, it only takes longer when the crash occurs on foreign soil and so close to where hostilities are taking place.
On a positive note, the B-1B does offer a means of escape escape pod via which crewmembers can egress from the aircraft. We have no word, however, on the circumstances of the reported crash or about how many crewmembers were aboard the aircraft when it crashed.
* * *
FINAL FINAL UPDATE 8:41 p.m. Central 4-04-08: It turns out that the B-1 in question did not crash, per se, but caught fire while taxiing — after landing, according to this report from the Fox News Channel.
FINAL UPDATE 4:47 p.m. Central 4-04-08: The latest Associated Press report contains good news (i.e., all four crew members made it out of the aircraft safely after it caught fire upon landing in Qatar).
UPDATE #3 3:37 p.m. Central 4-04-08: A report by Reuters, time stamped almost an hour ago, is even more sketchy.
UPDATE #2 3:30 p.m. Central 4-04-08: The U.S. military says a B-1 bomber has crashed at an American Air Force base in the Middle East, according to Stars & Stripes. A military official says that details are sketchy but initial reports are that the bomber crashed in the nation of Qatar at al-Udeid Air Base, the headquarters of all American air operations in the Middle East. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the reports are preliminary. Click here to read their report.
UPDATE #1 3:18 p.m. 4-04-08: Though Fox News Channel’s initial announcement included a statement that Al-Jazeera was saying it was a B-52 crash while the Air Force said it was a B-1, I could find no news on the Al-Jazeera web site related to any crash.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Lane C. Jerrel M.Ed. // Apr 4, 2008 at 2:18 pm
B-1b’s do not have an escape pod like the old FB-111. They have an ejection seat system like fighter aricraft. I was a crew chief on B-1b’s from 92-96
2 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 4, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I was at McConnell AFB during the preparation for the arrival of the B-1B there, but I left just a few weeks before the first planes arrived. As a result, I relied upon Wikipedia for the “escape pod” info. I guess the Wiki was wrong. Thanks!
3 Midnight Prowler - 89 // Apr 8, 2008 at 9:01 am
The wiki is usually always wrong when it comes to military information. Do yourself a favor and stop posting with information garnered from places like that. As a former Public Affairs Officer, you should know better.
4 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 8, 2008 at 9:03 am
Hey Prowler — Hope all’s well in your mother’s basement. Write when you find work.
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