Fear spread quickly across the desert airfield at Edwards Air Force Base on Monday after a US B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff, with officials saying all eight people on board are believed to have died.
The incident unfolded around lunchtime at the sprawling California base — a major hub of US military operations about 95km north of Los Angeles — where images from the scene suggested a fierce fire consumed the aircraft.
“An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after takeoff at 11.20am (7.20pm Irish time). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement.
“Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel,” the statement continued, adding that an investigation was under way.
In the immediate aftermath, the base said on social media that the airfield had been shut down and all inbound aircraft were being diverted elsewhere.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”
A spokesman for the base declined to provide further details.
Aerial video from above the crash site showed a broad, blackened scar on the ground.
Little appeared to remain of the bomber itself. From a broadcast helicopter, a journalist described a “large plume” of black smoke that could be seen after the crash.
Multiple emergency vehicles were visible positioned around the extensive burned area.
The B-52 — a long-serving heavy bomber — first took to the air in 1954 and was built with the Soviet Union in mind during the Cold War era.
Even after that period ended, the aircraft has undergone continual upgrades, allowing it to remain operational for decades.
The giant bomber, capable of carrying an array of weapons such as bombs and cruise missiles, has a wingspan of 56 meters and measures 48 meters in length.
According to a US Air Force fact sheet, the B-52 is typically flown by a crew of five: an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer.
It has a combat range of up to 8,800 miles and is able to carry a nuclear payload.
The United States has used the B-52 in major conflicts including Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently in Iran.
