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All eight personnel on board a United States B-52 bomber are feared dead after the aircraft crashed in California on Monday, according to Edwards Air Force Base.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff at about 11:20 a.m. local time (1820 GMT) at Edwards Air Force Base, a major US military operations hub located about 60 miles (95 kilometres) north of Los Angeles.
In a statement, the base said the B-52 Stratofortress was on a routine test mission when it went down.
It said initial assessments indicated that the crash did not appear survivable, adding that emergency responders were deployed immediately to the scene while efforts continued to confirm the status of all personnel on board.
The statement also confirmed that investigations had commenced to determine the cause of the incident.
“An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after takeoff at 11.20 am (1800 GMT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” said a statement from Edwards Air Force Base.
“Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel,” the statement added.
Authorities further said the airfield had been shut down, with incoming aircraft diverted to other locations.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,”it said.
According to AFP, Images and aerial footage from the scene showed a large burnt-out area, with the aircraft reportedly destroyed by fire on impact. Thick smoke was also seen rising from the crash site, alongside multiple emergency response vehicles.
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber first introduced in the 1950s and originally designed during the Cold War era. It has since undergone several upgrades and remains in active service.
The aircraft is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons and typically operates with a crew of five, including a commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer, according to a US Air Force fact sheet on the plane.
It has a combat range of up to 8,800 miles and has been deployed in multiple US military operations over the decades, including in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan and more recent missions.
