[1][2] The accident marked the first operational loss of a B‑2 bomber, and as of 2024[update] remains one of two lost B-2s since another damaged B-2 had to be retired due to repair costs after an on-board fire.

[7] The two-officer crew (Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grieve) were unable to control the bomber, and as one of its wingtips made contact with the ground, they ejected and survived the crash.

Because three pressure transducers failed to function[9]—attributable to condensation inside devices, not a maintenance error—the flight-control computers calculated inaccurate aircraft angle of attack and airspeed.

The combination of slow lift-off speed and the extreme angle of attack, with attendant drag, resulted in an unrecoverable stall, yaw, and descent.

[4][9][15][16] The crash of Spirit of Kansas was featured on season 22 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, in the episode titled, "Stealth Bomber Down".