2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/2008-andersen-air-force-base-b-2-accident

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the aircraft designation?B-2 Spirit
2. What is the location of incident?Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
3. What is a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber?The B-2 Spirit is a very large spy plane shaped like a flying wing. It uses special materials and a smooth design so radar can’t easily see it.
4. Why did the B-2 crash during its 2008 takeoff?A temperature sensor got wet and sent wrong data to the computer. The computer told the plane to lift its nose too high, causing it to stall and fall.

Low Observability: The characteristic of an aircraft designed to be difficult for radar and other detection systems to track.
Fly-by-Wire: An electronic flight control system that replaces conventional mechanical linkages with electronic signals.
Angle of Attack: The angle between the chord line of an airfoil and the direction of the oncoming air.
Air Data System: A system that measures atmospheric parameters such as airspeed, altitude, and temperature for aircraft navigation and control.