Eight Killed As B-52 Bomber Crashes Near California Air Base

U.S. military aircraft B-52 Stratofortress crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday. All eight people aboard the bomber were killed.

Edwards Air Force Base issued a social media statement, stating that the B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after its takeoff from the base at 11:20 am. “Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” the statement noted.

Officials say that the incident is under investigation. “After reviewing footage of the crash, it was determined that no one could have survived,” Col. James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412 test wing at Edwards, said at a news conference. He also said that the cause is not immediately clear and a complete investigation could take up to six months. “We lost eight great Americans,” Hayes added

Videos of the incident went viral on social media, showing a large column of black thick smoke swelling upwards into the sky, from the desert landscape near the base, moments after the aircraft went down. 

Fox news also aired a video of the crash showcasing emergency personnel putting out a fire in a substantial burned portion of Edward’s runway.

Base Airfield Closed

Following the incident, the Base announced the closure of its airfield in a social media statement. According to the statement, all inbound aircrafts are being diverted. In order to focus entirely on emergency response operations, the Base also said that “all non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice”.

The Edwards Air Force Base hosts the world’s largest airfield. The Base, which is north of Los Angeles, is also the testing grounds for the Air Force and NASA’s new and developing aircraft. Over 10,000 military personnel, contractors, and civilian employees work at Edwards.

About the Aircraft

Introduced in the 1950s, the B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber, which usually has a crew of five. Constructed by Boeing, it can transport both conventional and nuclear weapons over great distances.

The B-52 is the Air Force’s oldest bomber in service and could potentially become the first military aircraft to remain in service for a century. It is a key component of the U.S. military's air force and has been utilized in actions spanning from Vietnam to the Iran War. 

Most recently, the aircraft was used as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Military Times reported that the bomber targeted command-and-control infrastructure and ballistic missile targets with long-range airstrikes.