Eight people were killed after a B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, the military said.
“We lost eight great Americans,” Col. James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, said at a news conference.
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Pictures and videos of the crash showed the aircraft essentially vaporized after going up in a cloud of flame and smoke. The plane crashed around 11:20 a.m. local time.
Hayes said the investigation into the crash could take up to six months and noted the B-52 in question was involved in a “radar modernization program.”
Boeing confirmed two of the eight killed were employees of the aerospace company.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the eight crew members who lost their lives in the B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It is with great sadness that we confirm two Boeing employees were among those on board. We are in contact with their families and offering support,” the company said in a statement.
Edwards AFB announced shortly after that the airfield was closed entirely and flights were being redirected.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” the notice said.
B-52 crashes are extremely rare, particularly fatal ones. The last crash of a B-52 occurred in 2016 when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Guam, with the crew evacuating safely. The last fatal crash was in 2008, also near Guam.
The B-52 is the oldest U.S. aircraft still in service, holding the record as the longest-flying U.S. military aircraft, having first flown in 1952. It has undergone repeated modernizations since, and the Air Force is planning further modernizations to extend its lifespan into the 2050s.
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The aircraft is among the few that can handle the U.S. military’s heaviest ordinance and just recently saw extensive action in Operation Epic Fury, being used to strike entrenched strategic targets deep in Iran.
Monday’s crash sends the U.S.’s total number of B-52s down from 76 to 75, but it is unlikely to be replaced. The last B-52 was delivered to the Air Force in 1962.
