Eight people were killed after a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, June 15, in the deadliest accident involving the aircraft since 1982.
According to CNN, the bomber went down shortly after departing the base at 11:20 a.m. local time while conducting a routine test flight supporting a radar modernization program.
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“It was tragic and unsurvivable,” Colonel James Hayes told reporters during a press briefing.
Emergency crews responded immediately to the crash, which sent a large plume of black smoke into the air. Military officials said the operation had shifted from rescue efforts to recovery.
Crew included military, civilians and contractors
US Air Force officials said all eight people on board were killed. The crew included military personnel, government civilians and contractors.
Chief Master Sgt. Joshua T. Skarloken said authorities were working to notify the victims’ families.
Boeing, which manufactured the aircraft, confirmed that two of its employees were among those aboard.
“We are in contact with their families and are offering support,” the company said in a statement.
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, House Speaker Mike Johnson and California Governor Gavin Newsom all issued condolences following the crash.
Deadliest B-52 crash since 1982
It’s the deadliest accident involving a B-52 bomber since 1982, when nine crew members were killed during a test-training mission near Sacramento, California.
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The B-52 Stratofortress first entered service in 1955 and remains one of the oldest aircraft still operated by the US Air Force. The current B-52H version can carry up to 70,000 pounds (31,750 kilograms) of weapons, including conventional and nuclear munitions.
Before Monday’s accident, the most recent fatal B-52 crash occurred in 2008, when six US Air Force personnel died after their aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Guam.
Military investigators have begun examining the cause of the latest crash. Hayes said a formal investigation is underway, but findings are not expected to be released for approximately six months.
Key aircraft in US military operations
The B-52 remains a central part of the US strategic bomber fleet. Before the crash, the US Air Force operated 76 B-52H aircraft.
The bomber has recently been used in missions connected to the conflict between the US and Iran and remains one of the US military’s primary long-range strike platforms.
Edwards Air Force Base, located northeast of Los Angeles, is one of the military’s premier flight-testing centers and has historically been used to test aircraft, drones, helicopters and space shuttle programs.
On June 9, the US lost its first AH-64 Apache attack helicopter since the start of its war with Iran after the aircraft went down near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the New York Times, both crew members were rescued safely, and the incident is under investigation.
It was not immediately clear whether the helicopter was shot down by Iranian forces, suffered a mechanical malfunction or encountered another problem.
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