The eight crew members of a B-52H Stratofortress bomber from the United States Air Force died this Monday after the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, California.
The accident occurred at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time during what authorities described as a routine test mission. The Public Affairs Office of the 412th Test Wing issued a statement indicating that "preliminary indications are that the accident was not survivable."
The aircraft was carrying eight people, three more than the standard crew of five that typically operates this type of bomber.
Images circulated by local media showed an imposing column of black smoke visible from kilometers away, along with a large scorched mark on the base's runway. According to reports, it was difficult to identify recognizable parts of the aircraft among the debris.
The airstrip was immediately closed following the incident; incoming aircraft were rerouted, and all non-commercial visitor passes were suspended while emergency teams responded to the accident.
The journalist Nick Sortor confirmed on the social network X that all crew members lost their lives, describing the incident as "an absolute tragedy" and asking for prayers for the families of the victims.
The Republicans in the House of Representatives also expressed their condolences through the same platform: "Praying for the crew, the families, and the first responders at Edwards Air Force Base. God bless our service members."
The accident is under investigation. Fox News reported that "the plane was carrying eight people on a routine test mission when it crashed at Edwards Air Force Base at around 11:20 a.m.".
The B-52H Stratofortress is one of the longest-serving bombers in the history of military aviation: it entered service in 1955, was produced by Boeing, and ceased production in 1962. The currently operational version can carry up to 70,000 pounds of bombs and ammunition, including nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The Air Force has 76 B-52H units in active service.
This incident is the deadliest involving a B-52 since July 21, 2008, when six Air Force members died when their aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guam.
The Air Force is implementing an ambitious modernization program for the B-52, called the B-52J, which focuses on new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, with an estimated total cost of $48.6 billion.
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