B1 Bomber: Catastrophic Engine Failure at Dyess Air Force Base

I am committed to bringing you exclusive footage from significant incidents and accidents, and today is no exception. This video presents exclusive, never-before-seen footage and imagery associated with an April 20, 2022 accident in which a United States Air Force Rockwell B1-B Lancer supersonic bomber experienced a catastrophic engine failure, explosion, and fire during a ground run-up at Dyess Air Force Base, Taylor County, Texas. One person received minor injuries.

The Accident Investigation Board report summary follows:

On 20 April 2022, at approximately 2216 local time (L), the Mishap Aircraft (MA), a USAF B-1B, tail number 85-0089, assigned to Dyess Air Force Base, 7th Bomb Wing, 7th Maintenance Group, 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, experienced a catastrophic engine failure and fire on a the #1 engine while undergoing maintenance on the main ramp at Dyess AFB, Texas. The MA suffered catastrophic damage to the #1 engine, as well as extensive fire damage to the left nacelle and wing. Debris from the explosion struck one Airman who suffered minor injuries and was treated promptly at the local hospital. The estimated cost of damage sustained by the MA is $14,943,680.00.

Shortly before the accident, the Mishap Maintenance Crew (MMC), comprised of members from the 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 489th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performed routine corrective maintenance, in accordance with technical orders, in response to the MA's malfunctioning #1 engine variable area exhaust nozzle. During run-up to maximum augmenter to verify correct performance of the #1 engine variable area exhaust nozzle, the #1 engine catastrophically failed, ejecting its 2nd Stage Fan Disk from the intake section and severing fuel lines, which caused a fire to erupt in the engine. The 2nd Stage Fan Disk continued to fly away from the aircraft and landed over five hundred feet from the MA. The MMC executed emergency engine shutdown procedures and egressed away from the aircraft. Emergency crews quickly responded and extinguished the fire within ten minutes.

The Accident Investigation Board President found by a preponderance of the evidence that high cycle fatigue on the #1 engine's 2nd Stage Fan Disk was the cause of the accident. Laboratory testing demonstrated that high cycle fatigue initiated a crack on the surface of the 2nd Stage Fan Disk at the corner of a blade slot and the forward face of the disk. The crack, once initiated by the stress induced from repeated acceleration and deceleration of the engine, was propagated by a mix of high cycle and low cycle fatigue. The crack and its initial growth increased the stress beyond the 2nd Stage Fan Disk's yield strength, leaving it susceptible to low cycle fatigue. The surface crack grew to a depth of approximately 0.7 inches before the 2nd Stage Fan Disk broke apart causing the #1 engine to fail catastrophically. The root cause of the high cycle fatigue that caused the initial crack in the 2nd Stage Fan Disk could not be determined. No factors substantially contributed to this mishap.

00:00 Engine run-up
00:39 Catastrophic engine failure
00:47 Close-up footage
01:07 Distant footage
01:53 First ARFF truck
02:12 Firefighting begins
02:50 Photos

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