US Air Force B-52 Bomber Crashes After Takeoff in California, Eight Crew Members Feared Dead

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, the facility said in an X post.

According to preliminary reports, eight crew members on board were killed.

TASS has gathered the key information on the incident.

Plane crash

- A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber crashed after takeoff from California’s Edwards Air Force Base.

- The bomber, carrying eight people on board, was conducting a routine test flight and crashed at 11:20 a.m. local time on June 15.

- A mixed crew of military servicemen, government officials and contractors was on board the aircraft when it crashed, said Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander at the 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base.

- The command at Edwards Air Force Base currently has no information on the potential cause of the incident, he added.

- According to Hayes, determining the cause of the crash could take about six months.

- Boeing said that two of its employees had been aboard the aircraft.

Crash victims

- Eight crew members have reportedly been killed in the B-52 Stratofortress bomber crash, CNN said, citing Edwards Air Force Base.

- The base said in a later statement that no one was believed to have survived the crash.

Reaction

- Edwards Air Force Base would remain closed for at least nine hours, a regional air traffic control source told TASS earlier.

- All aircraft flights have been banned within a 13-km radius of Edwards Air Force Base at altitudes of up to 100 meters.