A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron undergoes pre-flight procedures at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 2020. A B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after taking off from the base on Monday. Air Force File Photo by Giancarlo Casem
California’s Edwards Air Force Base said eight crew members are believed dead following the Monday crash of a B-52 Stratofortress.
The base confirmed the B-52 Stratofortress, which was carrying a crew of eight, crashed shortly after takeoff at 11:20 a.m. Monday morning.
“Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” the base said in a release posted to X.
Emergency response personnel were on scene working to account for all eight crew members.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time,” the post said.
‼️ Official release regarding today's B-52 crash at Edwards. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time.
The airfield was closed following the crash and all incoming aircraft were diverted.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” the base said in an earlier post.
Video captured nearby the base shows a plume of black smoke rising over the Mohave Desert.
Edwards Air Force Base, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, frequently hosts test flights for new and experimental Air Force and NASA aircraft.
The base said
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