Shafaqna Pakistan: Eight people were killed when a US B-52 bomber crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff in California on Monday, according to officials.
The aircraft was conducting a routine testing mission and carried a mix of military personnel, government staff, and civilian contractors when it went down in a large fireball at Edwards Air Force Base, located about 95 km north of Los Angeles.
Officials described the crash site as “unsurvivable,” with footage showing a heavily charred area where little remained of the aircraft, a B-52 Stratofortress produced by Boeing.
Colonel James Hayes said the base had suffered a “horrible tragedy,” confirming that all eight individuals on board were killed. He added that the bomber was on a test sortie linked to radar modernisation work.
“It took off, and immediately after takeoff, crashed and burst into flames,” he said, adding emergency services quickly swung into action, but soon determined that there would be no one to rescue.
“After reviewing the footage of the crash, it was deemed that this was an unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable.”
There was no immediate indication as to the cause of the tragedy, and a safety investigation probe was immediately begun.
The crash happened around lunchtime at the base, a major operations centre for the US military, and was contained within the perimeter, Hayes told reporters.
In the aftermath of the accident, the airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted, the base said on social media.
Hayes said the identities of those who perished would not be released until all next of kin had been informed, a process he said was ongoing and could last for the rest of the day.
Boeing said two of those killed were employees of the company and it expressed its condolences to families of all the victims.
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 56m and a length of 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, the plane is capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
The US has deployed the aircraft in conflicts in Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently in Iran.
Source: Dunya News
