( CNN ) -- A U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber caught fire Friday after a landing at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar , U.S. military officials said . A sweep-wing B-1 bomber , similar to this one , caught fire after landing Friday in Qatar , the U.S. military says . The crew evacuated safely , the officials said . They said the fire began while the plane was taxiing after landing about 9:10 p.m. at al-Udeid , the headquarters of U.S. military air operations for the Middle East . Officials said the fire on the bomber was contained . A military board of inquiry has been appointed to investigate the incident , they said . The officials said initial reports said the plane crashed at the headquarters of the U.S. military 's air operations for the Middle East . The B-1B Lancer is widely used by the U.S. military to bomb targets over Iraq and Afghanistan . Learn more about B-1 bombers » . It carries a host of satellite and laser-guided bombs and is able to remain over targets for long periods of time to assist in close-air support for troops on the ground . In December 2001 , a B-1 crashed while returning from a bombing run over Afghanistan to a British base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia . Originally designed to speed nuclear bombs into Cold War Russia , the B-1 was retooled to become a long-range bomber able to carry more conventional bombs , allowing it to hit more targets over a wider area . Al-Udeid , about 20 miles south of Qatar 's capital of Doha , has the military 's longest runway in the Middle East . About 3,300 U.S. troops , mostly Army , are stationed at the base . E-mail to a friend .
NEW : Bomber burned after landing at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar . NEW : Crew was able to evacuate aircraft safely , military says . Al-Udeid Air Base has the military 's longest runway in the Middle East .