Eight feared dead as US bomber crashes on takeoff in California

LOS ANGELES: All eight people aboard a US B-52 bomber that crashed in California on Monday are feared dead, Edwards Air Force Base said, with pictures from the scene showing the aftermath of a large fire that appeared to have destroyed the aircraft.

The crash happened around lunchtime at the base, a major operations center for the US military around 60 miles (95km) north of Los Angeles.

“An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after takeoff at 11.20am (1800 GMT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” said a statement from Edwards Air Force Base.

“Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel,” the statement said, adding that the crash was under investigation.

The airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted, the base said on social media.

“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”

A spokesman from the base declined to give any further information.

Aerial footage showed a large charred area on the ground.

There appeared to be very little left of the plane, with a journalist in a broadcast helicopter speaking of a “large plume” of black smoke that had been visible in the aftermath of the crash.

A number of emergency vehicles could be seen by the vast burned patch.

The B-52 is a heavy bomber that first flew in 1954 and was originally designed for war with the Soviet Union. It has received continual upgrades to keep it in service for decades since the Cold War’s end.

The massive bomber – which can carry a range of weapons, including bombs and cruise missiles – has a wingspan of 185 feet (56m) and a length of 159 feet (48m).

The plane is usually crewed by five people: an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer, according to a US Air Force fact sheet on the plane.

With a combat range of up to 8,800 miles (14,163km), the plane is capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

The United States has deployed the aircraft in conflicts in Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently in Iran.