U.S. B-52 Crashes After Takeoff at California Air Base, 8 Dead

A U.S. Air Force B-52 crashed shortly after takeoff Monday evening during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base in California. All eight crew members were killed, including government civilians, contractors, and military personnel. Images and videos of thick smoke from the crash site circulated in U.S. media and on social networks.

According to reports, the accident happened at Edwards Base in the Mojave Desert, about 161 kilometers north of Los Angeles, at around 11:20 a.m. local time. The cause is under investigation, and operations at the base were suspended because the runway was damaged. Edwards Air Force Base said initial assessments suggested the crash was not survivable and that emergency and rescue teams were on scene while officials worked to account for everyone aboard.

The U.S. Air Force later confirmed that all eight crew members died. Boeing said two of the victims were its employees. The B-52 Stratofortress, in service since 1955, is the U.S. military’s main bomber and can fly more than 14,000 kilometers without aerial refueling while carrying up to 32,000 kilograms of weapons, including cruise missiles and nuclear arms.

The aircraft can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and has been used in major U.S. military operations from Vietnam to recent campaigns in the Middle East. The crash came nearly a year after a separate close call in July, when a passenger jet over North Dakota made an abrupt turn to avoid a possible collision with a B-52 on the same flight path.