U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress Crashes Shortly After Takeoff At Edwards Air Force Base, Killing Eight

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, bursting into flames and killing eight people aboard during what the base called a "routine test mission."

“8 dead after Air Force B-52 bomber crashes shortly after takeoff in California The cause of the crash remains under investigation”

ABC News

The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. local time, and Edwards Air Force Base said the airfield was closed with all inbound planes being diverted.

ABC News

Col. James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing, said the crash was deemed unsurvivable based on a review of footage, calling it a "horrible tragedy."

ABC News reported that the cause of the crash remains under investigation and that the process will likely take several months, while CNN said the B-52 was performing a test supporting the radar modernization program.

The base said emergency response personnel were on scene and officials were working to account for all personnel, as aerial video showed a towering black plume rising from the desert.

At a news conference, Colonel James Hayes told reporters, "We lost eight great Americans," and said the names of those on board will be released 24 hours following next-of-kin notification.

Chief Master Sgt. Joshua T. Skarloken said teams were working to notify families about the deaths over the next several hours, while the base said it was standing down all operations on Tuesday.

ABC7 Los Angeles

The base also said the runway was left with a large blackened scar on the sandy runway, and CNN reported it was difficult to make out any distinct parts of the wreckage from video.

AP reported that after reviewing footage, it was determined that no one could have survived, and Hayes said the investigation could take up to six months.

AP further said the B-52 was supporting the "radar modernization program," and noted that the airfield remained closed most of Monday and then reopened to people coming onto the base by late afternoon.

With the crash under investigation, Edwards Air Force Base said the cause remains under investigation and that the process will likely take several months, while CNN said it is now considered a recovery operation.

“A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress has crashed shortly after taking off from the Edwards Air Force Base in California, the base said”

Al Jazeera

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told the Guardian that he suspects "some kind of flight control malfunction" given how quickly the B-52 crashed after takeoff.

The Guardian reported that Guzzetti said it was possible the controls were rigged wrong after maintenance, or that there was a catastrophic engine problem or a failure of a piece of equipment being tested.

NBC News said the base had closed the airfield and that determining a cause could take months, and it reported that those onboard included members of the military, government civilians and government contractors.

In parallel, the base’s test and development role remains central to what comes next, with AP describing Edwards as home to a large portion of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts and the 412th Test Wing conducting developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components.