B-1 bomber crashes at South Dakota Air Force base, crew ejects safely

A B-1 Lancer bomber from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, crashed during a training mission around 5:50 p.m. while attempting to land. All four crew members ejected safely, and no injuries were reported, as confirmed by the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth.

The incident is currently under investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The Air Force stated that the aircraft was on a training mission at the time of the accident, and the successful ejection of the entire crew averted potential casualties.

At the time of the crash visibility was poor with freezing temperatures and low clouds, according to automated weather reporting equipment recording airfield conditions.

The B-1 is a conventional supersonic bomber that first came into service in the 1980s. It has been used to support the U.S. bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region and to conduct close air support missions in U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It does not carry nuclear weapons.

While 100 were originally built, fewer than 60 remain in service at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base.