Overview
- The aircraft suffered a left main landing gear collapse during landing at Whiteman AFB on Sept. 14, 2021, scraping the left wing and damaging structures around the gear bay and lower wing.
- Extensive inspections and temporary fixes enabled a one-time ferry flight to Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale facility on Sept. 22, 2022, saving an estimated $52 million and nine months.
- A four-phase depot program completed May 12, 2025 restored structural integrity using an 8×4-foot donor composite skin, out-of-autoclave resin, and scarf-repair techniques tailored for low-observable surfaces.
- Air Force Global Strike Command provided concurrence for the ferry plan and approved in-depth scarf repairs during depot maintenance, according to the B-2 program office.
- The bomber rejoined the fleet on Nov. 6, 2025 after repairs that required precise thermal control and contamination mitigation, with the Air Force saying the methods will speed future composite sustainment work.