Eight dead after B-52 Stratofortress crashes at California air base on test mission
Edwards Air Force Base said initial indications suggest the crash was 'not survivable'
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.
