Eight people died Monday when a US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed immediately after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. The incident occurred at 11:20 a.m. local time while the aircraft was on a routine test mission.
The crash sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. According to BBC News, aerial footage showed a charred, smoking landscape at the crash site.
Col. James Hayes addressed reporters at an afternoon briefing. "Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a terrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans," Hayes said, describing the crew as a "mixed crew of military, government civilians and government contractors." The base had earlier said that initial indications were that the crash "was not survivable." After reviewing initial footage, Hayes said, it was deemed "an unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable."
Hayes said the crash was "totally contained" within the Edwards Air Force Base on the runway, and the base temporarily grounded operations. The airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft diverted. All non-commercial visitor passes were suspended to allow the installation to focus on emergency response.
The B-52 was supporting the base's radar modernization program at the time of the crash. No cause has yet been determined. Hayes said cause investigations can take up to 30 days and further cause analysis investigations can take more than six months.
The crew's next of kin are being notified. Hayes said the crew members will be named 24 hours after that notification process is complete.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been in service with the US military since the 1950s. It is nicknamed "the Buff," which is partly short for "Big Ugly Fat." The aircraft is a long-range strategic bomber capable of flying at up to 50,000 feet, above the roughly 35,000 feet at which commercial airliners fly. Its 70,000-pound payload can include hundreds of conventional bombs and 32 nuclear cruise missiles. The aircraft can also refuel in mid-air. The bomber typically carries a crew of five, including an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator, and electronic warfare officer. The crew on Monday's flight was larger than that standard configuration.
Edwards Air Force Base is located approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. Congressman Jay Obernolte, whose district includes the base, posted on Facebook that he and his wife "are praying for everyone involved in today's B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, especially the crew, their families, and the first responders on scene."
