Eight dead after B-52 Stratofortress crashes at California air base on test mission

Eight crew members are believed to have died after a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday. The aircraft went down at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time during what officials described as a routine test mission.

Business Insider reported the crash, with images from the scene showing a large plume of black smoke rising from the base.

'Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable'

Edwards Air Force Base confirmed the incident in a statement posted to social media. "An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after takeoff at 11:20 a.m. (PDT)," the base said. "Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable."

Operations halted

The base posted on X at 12:48 p.m. local time that it had closed operations and was diverting all incoming aircraft as a result of the incident.

Edwards Air Force Base is one of the United States military's most significant flight-testing installations, home to the Air Force Test Centre and Test Pilot School. The 480-square-mile base in Kern County is also where pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947.

About the B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing-made B-52 Stratofortress first entered service in the 1950s and continues to form a core part of the Air Force's bomber fleet. The aircraft has seen active deployment in conflicts across the Middle East, including recent operations against Iran.