8 people dead in B-52 bomber crash in California

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed during a routine test flight in California on Monday, killing all 8 people on board.

Edwards Air Force Base said the strategic bomber went down shortly after taking off at 11.20 am PDT (1820GMT) for a “routine test mission.”

“Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” it said on the US social media company X.

Col. James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing at the base, characterized the incident as a “horrible tragedy” during a press briefing. “We lost 8 great Americans,” Hayes said, noting that the crew comprised a mix of military personnel, government civilians, and private contractors.

Boeing, the American aerospace giant that designed and manufactured the B-52, confirmed that two of its staff members were among the fatalities.

“It is with great sadness that we confirm two Boeing employees were among those on board,” the company said, expressing “deepest condolences” to the families of all eight crew members and pledging to offer continued support.

Emergency response personnel arrived at the scene northeast of Los Angeles immediately following the impact.

The base said teams are currently working to account for all personnel, and the crash is currently under investigation.

It had earlier announced the closure of the airfield, with all inbound aircraft being diverted.

"All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations," it said.