Eloise Ogden/MDN One of the eight engines on a B-52 bomber from Minot Air Force Base dropped from the plane northeast of the base while the plane was on a training mission earlier this week. The engine fell from a B-52 bomber like this one at Minot AFB.

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – A team from Minot Air Force Base has identified the site where parts of a B-52 engine are located after the engine dropped from a B-52 bomber earlier this week.

Base officials announced the finding early Friday evening.

“At this time, we have identified the location(s) of the engine (parts) and are actively working to preserve any evidence we can from the impact sites before recovering pieces to Minot AFB,” said Maj. Jamie Humphries, a spokesman for the base, in a prepared statement. “We do not have a timeline for the recovery efforts at this time and we must remain cognizant of any impacts from weather that may affect the safety of our recovery personnel.”

Earlier, base officials said the search for the engine was being conducted on the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge about 25 miles northeast of the base.

The Air Force confirmed that one of the aircraft’s eight engines dropped mid-flight on Wednesday for an unknown reason on the refuge located near Upham in Bottineau County and is buried in snow in a river, said an Air Force spokesman.

The refuge, located along the Souris River, is the largest national wildlife refuge in North Dakota with 58,700 acres. As of Dec. 31, that area had 21 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service, but the area has had another major storm since.

The B-52 engine, one of eight on the long-range bomber, fell from the plane while on a local training mission about mid-day Wednesday.

Base officials said an in-flight emergency was declared when the pilot discovered an engine dropped from the plane. The aircraft landed safely with no injuries to the five crewmembers on board. No weapons were on board.

Humphries said the search for the engine was being done by various individuals from many different specialties from across the base.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James told the Minot Daily News during an interview Thursday at Minot AFB that the military believes that engine suffered a “catastrophic failure.” She said it disintegrated and fell from the plane. At the time of the interview, she said the military believed the engine is at the bottom of a river so the recovery may take some time.

James, who was at the base this week for a scheduled visit, praised the plane’s crewmembers for doing a “magnificent job” under such difficult circumstances and landing the plane safely, without any injuries.

The engine has a dry weight (no fluids) of about 4,700 pounds, according to officials.

The eight TF33-P-3/103 turbofan engines on the B-52 are built by Pratt & Whitney, according to Air Force information. Each engine has a thrust up to 17,000 pounds.

Pratt & Whitney officials in East Hartford, Conn., said they are aware of the B-52H incident and have offered their technical assistance to the Air Force in its investigation.

“Pratt & Whitney produced the TF33-PW-103 (engine) starting in 1961 for a period of about four years,” said a statement from the company. “Pratt & Whitney has since supported the USAF who has responsibility for all maintenance of the engine.”

Pratt & Whitney officials also said in their statement, “We work continuously with our military customers to offer safety and reliability improvements throughout the life cycle of all our engine lines. For example, working with the Air Force, we successfully concluded accelerated mission testing on a TF33 engine in December 2016, validating design changes that can improve safety, performance and mission readiness. The success of this test demonstrated we have attractive propulsion options to offer the Air Force.”

A military safety investigation board is investigating the incident.

James said there is “zero indication” the engine incident is a widespread problem with the B-52s.

An engine dropping from a B-52 is far from common. Such an incident occurred near Bismarck around 40 years ago.

That incident also occurred in the month of January when an engine on a then Strategic Air Command B-52 bomber during a training mission from Grand Forks AFB dropped in a pasture five miles from Baldwin. Baldwin is about 17 1/2 miles north of Bismarck. The plane returned safely to the base. No injuries or damage resulted on the ground, according to the Minot Daily News files.

Only the H model of the B-52 is still in the Air Force inventory. Minot AFB and Barksdale AFB in Louisiana are the only bases with the B-52 bomber.