AGANA, Guam -- A B-52 bomber was hit by small arms fire today as it was making a practice landing at Andersen Air Force Base but the plane landed safely, officials said.
No one was injured in the incident and officials said the plane was not seriously damaged, although the pilot reported difficulty steering the plane after landing.
An inspection found that a hydraulic line was severed in the shooting and there were several bullet holes in the body of the aircraft. Air Force officials would not say how many bullets hit the bomber.
The shooting is being investigatd by the Air Force Office of Investigations.
It has not been determined if the plane was hit while over the base or on its approach. The base is located in an isolated area.
The incident marks the second time in two months that a U.S. aircraft has been struck by small arms fire. The other shooting involved a Navy helicopter that was making practice landings at the Naval Air Station near Agana.
In that incident, an anonymous caller told the Naval Operations Office that he would shoot down the helicopter if it did not stop the practice runs.
Shots were fired at the helicopter 30 minutes later but there was no damage. Officials said the shooting may have been carried out by someone annoyed at the noise made by the helicopter in the touch-and-go landings. That incident is still being investigated.
Officials said there are no suspects in either shooting. One official speculated that today's shots may have been fired by poachers in the area.
There are no known anti-American activities in Guam, a self-governing U.S. territory.
