Breaking - B-1 catches fire at Doha, Qatar

Aviation Aviation News
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Story on the Beeb

B-1 bomber catches fire in Qatar

A US B-1 bomber aircraft has caught fire in the Gulf state of Qatar, reports from the country say.

The incident happened as it was taxiing at al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar-based al-Jazeera television reports.

The cause of the incident is as yet unknown, a US defence official told Reuters news agency. No information on casualties was immediately available.

The base is used by the US as the headquarters for its air operations in the Middle East.

“A B-1 crashed,” the US official said. “We’re investigating.”

The B-1 is a long-range bomber aircraft, usually flown by a crew of four.

It reaches supersonic speeds and can fly intercontinental missions without refuelling.

The aircraft has been in service since the Cold War and has a “reasonably good” safety record, defence analyst Paul Beaver told the BBC.

The base, 35km (20 miles) south of Qatar’s capital, Doha, has the longest runway in the region and can accommodate up to 120 aircraft.

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The story is sketchy. Did it crash, then catch fire, or did it catch fire on the ground? More to follow, I’m sure…

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1 down, 66(?) to go!

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B1 accident at guam
Another accident involving an Air Force bomber occurred at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, last month when a B-1B Lancer bomber collided with two emergency vehicles on the base s taxiway after the crew had departed.

The bomber was stopped on the taxiway, and the aircrew had exited, when it rolled and hit two fire trucks, according to Andersen spokesman Capt. Joel Stark. No one was injured, Stark said.

The aircraft was assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. and was in transit from an air show in Singapore. It had taken off from Andersen around mid-day, Stark said, but returned due to an in-flight emergency.

The bomber had landed safely and was on the taxiway when the collision occurred, Stark said. The obvious question, were the brakes set?, was not mentioned in the Air Force report.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash of a B-2 stealth bomber upon take-off on Andersen s runway on Feb. 23 (PF, March 08) continues, Stark said. The Spirit stealth bomber, valued between $1.2 and $2 billion, was a total loss (and it was NOT the plane we showed last month; that was a small joke that nobody got).

The extent of damage to the unarmed B-1B has not been determined, he said.

The jet is worth an estimated $283.1 million, according to a U.S. Air Force fact sheet. A team from Andersen has begun an interim investigation into the collision, Stark said.

The B-2 Spirit of Kansas was one of four B-2s deployed to Guam from the 509th bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.