Eight people on board were killed after a B-52 bomber went down shortly after takeoff from an Air Force installation in California.
The aircraft, which was carrying service members, federal employees and government contractors, crashed just outside Los Angeles at about 11:20 a.m. PT on Monday after leaving Edwards Air Force Base.
Officials said the bomber had been conducting a routine test flight in support of radar modernization work when the accident occurred, adding that early signs suggest no one could have survived the impact.
“Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a horrible tragedy and we lost eight great Americans,” Col. James Hayes said during a news conference, while noting that authorities were in the process of notifying relatives.
By Monday evening, emergency crews were still at the crash site as recovery efforts remained underway.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and officials said a preliminary report may take as long as six months to be released.
The crash left plumes of thick black smoke covering the area in the Mojave Desert.
The runway was also left with a large char mark on the sandy runway in the aftermath, leaving it unusable for routine trips on Tuesday.
The military aircraft plummeted to the ground around 11.20am PT on Monday after departing from Edwards Air Force Base in California
The airfield was then closed and all inbound flights were temporarily diverted.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is one of the oldest aircraft in the US Air Force’s fleet, first entering service in 1955. It has a wingspan of 185ft, which is almost twice the length of a standard NBA basketball court.
The aircraft, which is often referred to as ‘the Buff’ or ‘Bug Ugly Fat’, can carry up to 70,000lb of bombs and other military weapons.
The plane can also hold five crew members, can fly up to 50,000 feet and can refuel mid-air.
The B-52H, the current version of the bomber plane, was used during missions in the conflict between the US and Iran.
That specific version can also hold nuclear-armed cruise missiles and nuclear bombs.
Congressman Jay Obernolte, whose district includes the crash site, said he and his wife ‘are praying for everyone involved in today’s B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, especially the crew, their families, and the first responders on scene.’
‘My prayers are with everyone involved in the B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base this afternoon,’ Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain said.
A large plume of dark smoke rises into the sky after the plane crash
The plane, which can hold five crew members, can fly up to 50,000ft and can refuel mid-air
The crash comes nearly two decades after a B-52 crashed in 2008, resulting in the deaths of six Air Force personnel.
The plane plummeted into the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Guam while preparing for a flyover during a Liberation Day parade.
An investigation determined that the fatal crash was likely caused by an improper stabilizer trim setting, when the aircraft’s horizontal tail is angled incorrectly.
The US Air Force and the US Navy worked together to find and retrieve the aircraft’s wreckage from the ocean floor.
There was no flight recorder data available because the plane was not equipped with one.
Breaking news… updates to follow.
