A damaged B-2 Spirit took four years and $75.7 million to repair after a landing gear collapse in 2021, revealing vulnerabilities in the Air Force’s small stealth bomber fleet.
A B-2 Spirit bomber sidelined by a landing gear collapse in 2021 has returned to service after a four-year, $75.7 million repair effort that exposed the challenges of maintaining America’s fleet of just over a dozen stealth bombers.
The aircraft, tail number 89-0129 known as the Spirit of Georgia, suffered heavy damage at Whiteman Air Force Base on Sept. 14, 2021, when a hydraulic failure caused the left main-gear lock to fail during an emergency landing. The gear collapsed on touchdown, scraping the wing and triggering an extensive reconstruction effort.
The bomber returned to flight operations on Nov. 6, 2025, following repairs at Plant 42 in California that required engineers to rebuild composite wing structures while preserving the aircraft’s stealth capabilities.
Complex repair timeline
The Air Force faced multiple hurdles in restoring the aircraft. Officials first had to ensure the bomber could safely make a one-time ferry flight to Plant 42 after laser dimensional checks and finite-element analysis confirmed the primary structure could handle the journey.
Temporary repairs enabling the ferry flight cost $52 million but cut nine months off the overall repair timeline, according to Air Force documents. The aircraft flew to Plant 42 on Sept. 22, 2022, more than a year after the incident.
The permanent repair package, valued at $23.7 million, involved reconstructing the stealth-capable wing. Engineers designed and tested the repair on panels before installing it on large composite skin sections. The work required precise heat control for composites and contamination cleanup in fuel-tank areas.
Structural repairs were completed on May 12, 2025, followed by extensive testing before the aircraft returned to service six months later.
Strategic implications
The extended grounding of a single B-2 carries significant weight for a fleet measured in just over a dozen aircraft. Each grounded bomber reduces overall capacity and training capability, particularly for an aircraft that serves as the only U.S.-built low-observable heavy bomber designed to penetrate air defenses.
The B-2 supports both conventional and thermonuclear strike missions. The four-year repair timeline also signals to adversaries the challenges the U.S. faces in regenerating combat power after accidents or battle damage to delicate stealth structures.
Technical achievements
The repair project demonstrated that large composite repairs on stealth aircraft are possible. Engineers refined the scarf-repair process, which could be applied to similar incidents in the future and potentially reduce costs and timelines.
The Department of Defense spends tens of billions annually on aircraft sustainment, with many fleets missing mission-capable goals. The lessons from this one-off repair could become standard practice for sustainment contracts.
Preparing for the future
The successful restoration of the Spirit of Georgia also validates the industrial base for maintaining stealth bombers as the B-21 Raider enters service. Plant 42’s work established composite-reinforcing techniques and demonstrated engineering capabilities that will support the next-generation bomber program.
The repair highlighted both the feasibility of restoring heavily damaged stealth aircraft and the substantial time and resources required to do so.
Key Takeaways
- The B-2 Spirit of Georgia was grounded for four years after a Sept. 14, 2021, landing gear collapse at Whiteman Air Force Base caused by hydraulic failure.
- Repairs totaled $75.7 million: $52 million for temporary fixes enabling ferry flight to Plant 42, and $23.7 million for permanent wing reconstruction.
- The extended repair timeline reduced U.S. strategic bomber capacity in a fleet of just over a dozen aircraft.
- Engineers developed new composite repair techniques that preserved stealth properties and will benefit future B-21 Raider sustainment.
- The bomber returned to service Nov. 6, 2025, after structural repairs were completed in May 2025 and extensive testing.
