Why Can’t The B-2 Handle Rain?

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]The B2 can fly undetected through any airspace on Earth, but it cannot handle rain, and the reason is that the stealth coating that makes it invisible to radar is sensitive to moisture. Every B2 must be sheltered in a climate controlled hanger when not in use. On Guam, one of the most humid places on Earth, that's a significant problem. On February 23rd, 2008, the Spirit of Kansas was preparing to take off from Anderson Air Force Base alongside three other B2s, returning home after a 4-month deployment. Heavy rains had soaked the aircraft overnight.

[00:00:36]Moisture had entered the skin flush air data sensors, the devices that feed speed, altitude, and angle of attack into the flight computers. During pre-flight calibration, the contaminated sensors fed bad data into the system.

[00:00:51]When the aircraft lifted off, the flight computers calculated a severe noseown altitude and instantly commanded a 30° pitch up to correct it. The aircraft stalled at an altitude it could never recover from. As the left wing struck the runway, both pilots ejected. The aircraft was destroyed. The investigation found that a fix had already existed. Heating the sensors before calibration evaporates the moisture. The technique simply hadn't shared across the program. Most maintenance crews had never heard of it.

[00:01:23]A $1.4 billion aircraft destroyed by a known problem and a memo that never got sent.