Eight people have reportedly been killed after a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after take-off from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, authorities have confirmed.The incident occurred at about 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT) on Monday during what officials described as a routine test mission. The aircraft went down shortly after departure, sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky that was visible from miles away.
Colonel James Hayes of Edwards Air Force Base described the crash as a “terrible tragedy,” saying the United States had lost “eight great Americans.
”Base officials earlier stated that initial assessments indicated the crash was “not survivable,” with emergency responders immediately deployed to the scene. The airfield was later closed, with incoming aircraft diverted and visitor access suspended as emergency operations continued.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, nicknamed the “BUFF” (Big Ugly Fat Fellow), has been in service since the 1950s and remains one of the US military’s long-range strategic bombers.
Aerial footage from the scene showed scorched wreckage and heavy smoke rising from the crash site in the Mojave Desert, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
Officials and lawmakers have expressed condolences. Congressman Jay Obernolte, whose district includes Edwards Air Force Base, said he and his family were praying for those affected, especially the crew and first responders. Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain also offered condolences, praising emergency teams and describing service members as bearing “the weight of the nation’s defense every day.
”Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
