A B-1B Lancer arrived at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma following a three-engine ferry flight from Midland International Air & Space Port Oct. 26, 2018, where it had been located since May 1st following an emergency landing.
After undergoing a Safety Investigation Board and maintenance to get the aircraft into a safely operable condition the jet was flown by a crew from the Tinker based 10th Flight Test Squadron, Air Force Reserve Command, from Midland Air & Space Port to Tinker where it will undergo depot-level maintenance and upgrades to Block 16 configuration, according to Greg L. Davis, 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs.
During a routine training flight May 1, the four-engine B-1B indicated fire warnings in three areas of the aircraft. All but one was extinguished by taking appropriate flight procedures, prompting the aircraft commander to heed technical orders and command a controlled manual ejection.
The first aircrew member attempted to eject, but the seat failed to deploy. Alerted by another crewmember, the aircraft commander halted the ejection sequence and decided to attempt a two-engine emergency landing.
Despite auditory warning systems, depressurization and wind noise, the aircrew safely landed in Midland, making it the first-ever successful landing of a B-1B experiencing these malfunctions.
For their heroism, the crew members were each presented the Distinguished Flying Cross in a ceremony July 13 at Dyess AFB.
Upon completion of overhaul and upgrades the jet will be returned to the B-1B fleet with the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas.
The 10th FLTS is a specialized AFRC squadron tasked with conducting test flights of aircraft undergoing maintenance with the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB. OC-ALC is the largest of three depot repair complexes in Air Force Materiel Command.
