US bans all B-1 Lancer bombers due to faulty ejection seats

"During the investigation into the B-1B emergency landing in Midland, we discovered an issue with the ejection seat system and had to ground the entire fleet. The aircraft can return to service once the issue is resolved,"MilitaryJune 8quoted an official from the US Strategic Air Force.

The decision was made after an incident occurred on the B-1B Lancer bomber, serial number 86-0109, on May 1. The crew discovered that an engine had stopped working and had to make an emergency landing at Midland Airport, Texas.

Images from the scene showed one of the Lancer’s engines damaged and the cockpit’s roof hatch missing, while all four crew members were still on board. Some experts have questioned whether the pilots attempted to eject when the bomber crashed in mid-air.

An anonymous US Air Force source revealed that the weapons control officer on the plane pulled the ejection lever, but the ACE II ejection seat did not work and the crew had to choose an emergency landing solution. The US Air Force has not confirmed this information.

The B-1B Lancer bomber has had problems with its ejection seats, leading to fatal accidents in the past. On September 29, 1987, a Lancer hit a bird and burst into flames during a test flight in Colorado. The pilot activated the automatic ejection seat, but one failed, allowing only three people to escape. One crew member and two other pilots in regular seats, which did not have ejection functions, died in the incident.