Eight people, including two Boeing employees, were killed when a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The incident occurred at 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT) on Monday as the aircraft was on a routine test mission, sending a massive plume of black smoke visible for miles.
“Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a terrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans,” said Colonel James Hayes, describing them as a “mixed crew of military, government civilians and government contractors.” The base earlier stated that initial indications suggested the crash was “not survivable.”
Next of kin are being notified and will be named 24 hours later, Hayes said in an afternoon briefing. The crash was “totally contained” within the base runway, and operations have been temporarily grounded. The B-52 was supporting the base’s radar modernization program and crashed immediately after takeoff, bursting into flames.
After reviewing initial footage, the incident was deemed “an unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable,” Hayes said. No cause has been determined yet; investigations could take up to 30 days, with further analysis potentially exceeding six months.
Boeing confirmed in a separate statement that two of its employees were among the deceased and said it was in contact with their families. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the crash “a tragic incident” and offered condolences on X.
The B-52 Stratofortress has been in US military service since the 1950s. Nicknamed “the Buff” (partly for “Big Ugly Fat”), it is a long-range strategic bomber that has participated in bombing raids during the US and Israel’s war in Iran.
Capable of flying at up to 50,000 feet, the bomber’s 70,000 lb (32,000 kg) payload can include hundreds of conventional bombs and 32 nuclear cruise missiles. It can refuel mid-flight, giving it potentially unlimited strike range.
The aircraft typically carries a crew of five: aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator, and electronic warfare officer. Edwards Base is located about 100 miles (160 km) north of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert.
Source: www.bbc.com