A B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California left eight people aboard presumed dead after the bomber went down shortly after takeoff Monday, U.S. Air Force officials said.
The B-52 Stratofortress crashed at about 11:20 a.m. local time Monday, June 15, at the base in California’s Mojave Desert. That was 11:20 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
The aircraft was on a routine test mission linked to the B-52 Radar Modernisation Program, Military Times reported, citing the Air Force. Emergency crews responded after the crash, which officials described in initial assessments as not survivable.
Videos and photos posted online showed a large plume of black smoke rising near the airfield. Emergency responders launched rescue operations after the bomber went down on the airfield.
Officials had not released the cause of the crash as of the latest reports. The incident remains under investigation, and Edwards Air Force Base suspended operations and diverted incoming aircraft after the crash.
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The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range U.S. Air Force bomber capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons. The aircraft has been in service since the 1950s and remains part of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet.
Edwards Air Force Base is a major U.S. aviation testing site in Kern County. It houses the 412th Test Wing and the Air Force Test Pilot School.
