---
title: "A B-1 Lancer Made An Emergency Landing Just Before The Air Force Grounded The Entire Fleet"
date: "2018-06-11"
modified: "2018-06-11"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/b-1-lancer-emergency-landing-hawaii/"
categories:
  - "News"
---

# A B-1 Lancer Made An Emergency Landing Just Before The Air Force Grounded The Entire Fleet

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/02/18988800-1.jpg>)

A B-1 Lancer made an emergency landing after experiencing an in-flight incident on June 1, less than one week before the Air Force ordered a stand-down of its entire fleet, a spokesman for Air Force Global Strike Command [confirmed](<https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/06/11/b-1-makes-emergency-landing-in-hawaii/>) to Air Force Times on Monday.

- The B-1 crew out of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, experienced a "minor" issue after take-off, forcing the crew to quickly land at Hawaii's Hickam Air Force Base, AFGSC spokeswoman Maj. Anastasia Schmidt [told](<https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/06/11/b-1-makes-emergency-landing-in-hawaii/>) Air Force Times on June 11.
- [According](<https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/06/11/b-1-makes-emergency-landing-in-hawaii/>) to Schmidt, the June 1 incident was “not related" to the recent B-1B stand-down announced on June 7.
- The fleet was officially grounded after an investigation into the May 1 emergency landing of a B-1B Lancer in Midland County, Texas, revealed problems with the fleet’s ejection seat components that could turn in-flight crises into nightmare scenarios.
- "The mission commander on this ill-fated B-1B sortie likely faced the mortifying choice of saving the remaining two crewmembers and their own life by ejecting or risking all of their lives to land the crippled aircraft," wrote T&P;'s Brad Howard at the time. "Had the fire spread it could easily have resulted in a flashpoint situation which would have destroyed the entire aircraft in short order."

Anyway, Air Force Times first reported on the new B-1B incident on the same day that an Air Force F-15C Eagle crashed off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, leaving the pilot in serious condition. America's aviation crisis is only going to get worse before it gets better.

**WATCH NEXT:**

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredbkeller/>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/jaredbkelller/>)