Andersen Air Force Base B - 2 accident The Andersen Air Force Base B - 2 accident was a February 2008 incident when the " Spirit of Kansas " , a B - 2 Spirit stealth heavy bomber , crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam . The incident marks the first operational loss of a B - 2 bomber . Both crew members successfully ejected but the aircraft was destroyed . Description . On 23 February 2008 , a B - 2 crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam . The crash of the " Spirit of Kansas " , " 89 - 0127 " , which had been operated by the 393rd Bomb Squadron , 509th Bomb Wing , Whiteman Air Force Base , Missouri , and which had logged 5 , 100 flight hours , was the first ever crash of a B2 . The two - officer crew attempted to save the bomber , but as one of its wings began to " hook " the ground , they ejected from the aircraft and survived the crash . The aircraft was destroyed , a total loss estimated at US $ 1 . 4 billion . According to the " Air Force Times " , which is a private - industry magazine , no munitions were on board . The Air Combat Command accident board report states that " classified material " had been loaded onto the bomber the morning the aircraft was returning to Whiteman Air Force Base " after a four - month deployment in support of [ Pacific Air Force ' s ] continuous bomber presence . " At Guam Naval Hospital , one pilot was evaluated and released , and the second remained hospitalized . A B2 already in the air was called back to Andersen following the crash , where it and the other B2s were grounded until an initial investigation into the crash was complete . Six B - 52 s of the 96th Bomb Squadron , 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana were deployed to replace the B2s . The commander of the 509th Bomb Wing , Brig . Gen . Garrett Harencak , followed up on the incident by temporarily suspending flying operations for all 20 remaining B2s to review procedures . Harencak termed the suspension a " safety pause " and stated that the B2s would resume flying if called upon for immediate operations . The B2 fleet returned to flight status on 15 April 2008 . The findings of the investigation stated that the B - 2 crashed after " heavy , lashing rains " caused water to enter skin - flush air - data sensors . The data from the sensors are used to calculate numerous factors including airspeed , altitude , and attitude . Because three pressure transducers had been improperly calibrated by the maintenance crew due to condensation inside devices , the flight - control computers calculated inaccurate aircraft angle of attack and airspeed . Incorrect airspeed data on cockpit displays lead to the aircraft rotating 12 knots slower than indicated . After the wheels lifted from the runway , which caused the flight control system to switch to different control laws , the erroneously sensed negative angle of attack caused the computers to inject a sudden , 1 . 6g , uncommanded 30 - degree pitch - up maneuver . The combination of slow lift - off speed and the extreme angle of attack ( and attendant drag ) resulted in an unrecoverable stall , yaw , and descent . Both crew members successfully ejected from the aircraft soon after the left wing tip started to gouge the ground alongside the runway . The aircraft impacted the ground , tumbled , and burned after its fuel ignited .