A B-1 bomber aircraft crashed Monday morning in a rural part of southeast Montana, CBS News reported.
"We are actively working to ensure the safety of the crew members and have sent first responders to secure the scene and work closely with local authorities at the crash site," 28th Bomb Wing commander Col. Kevin Kennedy told CBS News. "Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with the crews and their families."
The four-person crew of two pilots and two weapons systems officers escaped the aircraft with minor injuries CBS News reported. According a spokesperson with Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, S.D. and the home of 28th Bomb Wing, the crash happened Monday morning near Broadusm, Mont.
Not much more detail was available Tuesday CBS News reported.
Emergency sirens were used between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. in Ekalaka, Mont. to notify the volunteer fire department of the news residents told MTN. The Carter County Sheriff's Office is also assisting in crash recovery efforts CBS News reported.
Residents told MTN nearby ranchers saw many parachutes come out of the plane, and an explosion before the plane went down and a billow of smoke in the sky MTN reported.
Ellsworth officials said the Air Force will be undergoing an investigation to see what the cause of the crash was, and other details MTN reported.
The 28th Bomb Wing is housed at Ellsworth MTN. Staff at the base take care of and fly a total of 28 B-1 bombers. Two of the Air Force's three B-1 combat squadrons are also there.
