19FortyFive
Water in three sensors wrecked the B-2 Spirit of Kansas, tail 89-0127, and the US Air Force priced that Guam crash at $1,407,006,920, calling it the most expensive aircraft crash on record, after the bomber rotated too slow at Andersen on February 23, 2008
xCruzo Brief
A B-2 Spirit from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—tail 89-0127, nicknamed the “Spirit of Kansas”—was destroyed on February 23, 2008 when water interfered with air-data sensor calibration. Seconds after takeoff, the aircraft jerked upward, stalled, and crashed; both pilots ejected. The pilot escaped with minor injuries, while the copilot died from a spinal compression fracture. The U.S. Air Force estimated the loss at $1,407,006,920, described by Andersen as the most expensive aircraft crash in history. NASA later concluded a significant bias was introduced in three of 24 port transducer units due to the preflight procedure.
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