Edwards, United States. A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed on takeoff Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, burst into flames and killed all eight crew members aboard, Air Force officials said. The aircraft was on a routine test mission when it crashed on the runway just after leaving the ground.
Crash and casualties
Air Force Colonel James Hayes said at a press conference that the eight-engine, jet-powered bomber went down on the runway at Edwards shortly after takeoff. He said the crash was quickly deemed unsurvivable.
A towering pall of black smoke rose from the crash site and was visible for miles immediately after the accident.
Crew composition and mission
Hayes said the mixed crew consisted of government civilians, government contractors and uniformed military personnel. Boeing, which designed and built the plane, said two of its employees were among the dead.
The flight was intended to support a radar modernization program, Hayes said.
Investigation and identification
Hayes said the cause of the crash was unknown and under investigation. Air Force officials did not identify the victims, saying they were still notifying next of kin.
Impact on base operations
Because of damage to the runway, Hayes said all operations at Edwards Air Force Base would be grounded through at least Tuesday. He added that no operations beyond the base would be suspended.
Crash site and base background
Aerial video from the scene, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, showed a charred, smoldering patch of desert floor larger than a football field. An emergency vehicle was seen driving along the perimeter, and no large pieces of debris were readily visible from a distance.
Edwards Air Force Base, established in the 1930s around a dry lake bed, covers about 481 square miles in the Mojave Desert and is the Air Force’s largest airfield.
