Air Force sacks commander after releasing report that blamed his leadership for crash

An operations group commander at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota has been relieved of his duties following a detailed report on a B-1B Lancer bomber crash in January— one that brought up numerous organizational issues and failures that led to the accident.

Colonel Mark Kimball, who was in charge of the 28th Operations Group, was dismissed because the Air Force lost trust and confidence in his leadership, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.

The difficult decision was made by Colonel Derek Oakley, the commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, after reviewing the findings from the accident investigation board regarding the January 4 crash.

The investigation report, released on July 25 by the Global Strike Command, criticized an organizational culture that allowed declining airmanship skills to persist.

The findings pointed out that the crash was not an isolated incident but rather the result of many failures.

The report stated: “Many failures leading to this mishap were not a one-time occurrence or an aberration.”

The cause of the crash, most directed at Kimball, was “an unhealthy organizational culture that permitted degradation of airmanship skills, inadequate focus on governing directives, lack of discipline, and poor communication regarding airfield conditions and hazards.”

The 28th Operations Group is now led by a temporary commander until a permanent replacement is found, as stated by Global Strike spokesman Charles Hoffman.

The B-1 bomber crashed during a routine training mission on January 4. Initially, the weather was clear, but it worsened as the mission progressed.

Eventually, fog covered the airfield —reducing visibility— and the wind changed suddenly as the B-1 approached for landing.

The pilot failed to adjust the throttle to maintain the plane’s speed, leading to a loss of altitude.

Despite efforts to regain control with afterburners, the bomber became uncontrollable and crashed.

The four crew members ejected from the bomber before it hit the ground. Two of them received medical treatment and were released shortly after.

The doomed B-1 slid about 5,000 feet along the runway and caught fire, resulting in a complete loss.

The investigation highlighted poor weather, icing, and a lack of awareness of airfield conditions as major factors in the crash. However, the most severe criticism was directed at the culture within the 28th Operations Group and the crew’s airmanship.

According to Defense News, the report noted that the crew did not perform an effective “composite crosscheck,” a process that involves checking multiple instruments to monitor the aircraft’s status. Had this been done, they would have noticed the loss of speed even with limited visibility.

Findings indicate that the crew became complacent and fixated, and criticized the instructor pilot for failing in his leadership and supervision roles.

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