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The Air Force has fired the commander of a bomber unit in South Dakota after an investigation of the crash of a $500 million B-1B bomber found an “unhealthy organizational culture” in the base’s flying units.
The Air Force on Friday sacked Col. Mark Kimball, commander of the 28th Operations Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, over the January crash that resulted in the total loss of a B-1B Lancer bomber.
According to the investigation, released last week, the airfield was covered in dense fog when the B-1B crew attempted to land. The bomber touched down 100 feet short of the runway, then skidded into an open area between two taxiways. Officials said the crew was forced to eject from the aircraft before it caught fire.
The Air Force said part of the problem was the unit’s culture that “permitted degradation of airmanship skills, inadequate focus on governing directives; lack of discipline and poor communications regarding airfield conditions and hazards.”
The 28th Bomb Wing commander relieved Col. Kimball “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command.”
“This investigation has shown that many failures leading to this mishap were not a one-time occurrence or an aberration. I have noted that the mishap occurred due to numerous factors, including a culture of noncompliance, widespread deviation from established policy and procedures, and several organizational influences and preconditions,” Col. Erick D. Lord, president of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board, wrote in his report.
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