B-52 Crash Kills All Eight Aboard on Routine Test Mission at Edwards Air Force Base

An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff on a “routine test mission” at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, killing all eight people aboard and bursting into flames around 11:20 a.m. local time Monday.

“EP Los ocho tripulantes del bombardero B-52 Stratofortress de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos han muerto tras estrellarse la aeronave«inmediatamente después» de despegar en una misión de prueba realizada en la Base Aérea de Edwards, en California, según han informado las”

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Col. James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, said after reviewing footage that the crash was “deemed unsurvivable,” and he told reporters, “We lost eight great Americans.”

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The crew included a mix of uniformed military, government civilians and government contractors, and Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among those killed.

The base said the airfield was closed and all inbound planes were being diverted, and it planned to stand down all operations on Tuesday while emergency response personnel worked to account for all personnel.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said, “We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission,” as officials continued to investigate what caused the crash.

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told AP that “I think it was definitely a controllability issue,” adding that it was unclear whether it was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure.

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CNN reported that Air Force Col. James Hayes said, “It was tragic and unsurvivable,” and it described charred wreckage at Edwards Air Force Base about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Boeing said in a release that it was “in contact with their families and are offering support,” while the base said the exact details would not be available to the public for about six months.

Edwards Air Force Base reopened to people coming onto the base by late afternoon, but it suspended non-commercial visitor passes and said operations would stand down on Tuesday.

Officials said the cause of the crash remains under investigation and could take up to six months to complete, with Col. James Hayes describing a process that would likely take several months.

The crash was described as supporting a B-52 radar modernization program, and AP reported that it was supporting the “radar modernization program” while the investigation continued.

In the aftermath, the base established a center to help provide resources to service members and their families, and Mary Becerra, a spokesperson for the base, said maintenance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were helping ensure the area was safe for the search and recovery team.