A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on takeoff on Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, killing all eight crew members aboard in a fiery accident that is now under investigation.
Air Force officials said the aircraft, which was on a routine test mission supporting a radar modernisation programme, went down shortly after leaving the runway and burst into flames on impact.
Colonel James Hayes, speaking at a press briefing, confirmed that the crash was “unsurvivable” and that the aircraft had been carrying a mixed crew of government civilians, contractors and military personnel.
He added that the B-52 Stratofortress was part of the 412th Test Wing and was involved in experimental work at the base when the incident occurred.
Footage from the crash site showed a vast burnt patch of desert land with thick black smoke rising into the sky, visible from miles away.
Officials said Boeing employees were among the dead, though the identities of all victims are being withheld until next of kin are notified.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and investigators have begun examining wreckage from the site while flight operations at Edwards Air Force Base have been temporarily suspended due to runway damage.
The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons, has long served as a key component of the US Air Force’s bomber fleet and remains in active service decades after its introduction.
Erizia Rubyjeana
