U.S. B-52 Crashes Minutes After Takeoff at Edwards Base in California

A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California a few minutes after takeoff on Thursday evening, Israel time. Israeli- and U.S.-reported images showed thick smoke rising from the crash site.

The base said initial assessments indicate that all eight crew members aboard the B-52 likely died in the accident. The aircraft was on a routine test mission when it went down shortly after departure.

In its official statement, Edwards Air Force Base said, "The initial assessment indicates that the crash was not survivable." It added that emergency and rescue teams were at the scene, officials were working to locate everyone who had been on the plane, and the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The report also noted that about a year ago, a passenger jet over North Dakota had to make an abrupt and unexpected deviation to avoid colliding with another B-52 on the same route, preventing a serious air disaster.