All eight people aboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress died when the bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California during a routine test mission, officials said.
The aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. local time on the airfield at the base, located in the Mojave Desert about 95 miles north of Los Angeles, the Air Force said in a statement.
Emergency crews responded immediately, but the crash was not survivable.
“It was tragic and unsurvivable,” Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing, told reporters at a news conference. He described the incident as a “horrible tragedy” and said the base had “lost eight great Americans.”
Hayes said the B-52 Stratofortress — a long-range bomber used by the US military since the 1950s — was on a test sortie as part of a radar modernization process. “It took off, and immediately after takeoff, crashed and burst into flames,” he said, adding that emergency services quickly swung into action, but soon determined that there would be no one to rescue.
The crash happened around lunchtime at the base, a major operations center for the US military, and was contained within the perimeter, Hayes told reporters.
BREAKING: A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base, triggering an emergency response.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene as thick black smoke billowed from the wreckage scattered across the desert airfield.
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“After reviewing the footage of the crash, it was deemed that this was an unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable.”
The crew consisted of a mix of uniformed military personnel, government civilians, and contractors, Hayes said. The aircraft was supporting the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, which involves testing upgrades to the bomber’s aging radar systems.
Hayes said the identities of those who perished would not be released until all next of kin had been informed, a process he said was ongoing and could last for the rest of the day.
Boeing said two of those killed were employees of the company, and it expressed its condolences to the families of all the victims.
The B-52 is a heavy bomber that first flew in 1954 and was originally designed for war with the Soviet Union. It has received continual upgrades to keep it in service for decades since the end of the Cold War.
The bomber — which can carry a range of weapons, including bombs and cruise missiles — has a wingspan of 185 feet (56 meters) and a length of 159 feet (48 meters).
The aircraft is usually crewed by five people: an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator, and an electronic warfare officer, according to a US Air Force fact sheet on the plane. With a combat range of up to 8,800 miles, the plane is capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
The United States has deployed the aircraft in conflicts in Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and, most recently, in Iran.
Edwards Air Force Base said the airfield has been closed and that all inbound aircraft are being diverted. All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.
By ET Desk and AFP
