B-52 Crash Kills Eight At US Air Base
A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, killing all eight people on board, US military officials said.
B-52 bomber crash at Edwards Air Force Base
The aircraft went down on Monday in the Mojave Desert near the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, located north of Los Angeles. The bomber burst into flames after the crash, and aerial footage showed black smoke rising from a large charred area.
Officials said the crash occurred around 11:20 a.m. during a routine test mission. Emergency crews responded to the scene, but authorities later confirmed that none of the eight people on board survived.
US Air Force crash investigation begins
Those killed included uniformed military personnel and government contractors. Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among those on board the aircraft.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Air Force officials said a full investigation could take several months. The aircraft was reportedly supporting a radar modernisation programme at the time of the incident.
B-52 Stratofortress test mission
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range US bomber that entered service in 1955 and can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. Despite its age, the aircraft remains a major part of the US Air Force fleet and is undergoing modernisation.
Edwards Air Force Base is one of the main centres for US Air Force flight testing and aircraft development. The crash has raised questions over what went wrong during the test mission, though officials have cautioned that it is too early to determine the cause.
