8 dead in B-52 bomber crash

AP

Los Angeles

A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a US Air Force base in Southern California's Mojave Desert and burst into flames, killing all eight people aboard, military officials said.

Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down around 11:20 am Monday during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Black smoke rose from a large swath of charred desert near the runway on the base, with emergency vehicles nearby.

Those on board included government contractors and uniformed military.

After reviewing footage of the crash, it was determined that no one could have survived, Col James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412 test wing at Edwards, said at a news conference.

“We lost eight great Americans,” Hayes said, adding that officials were working to notify their families.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, and it could take up to six months to complete an investigation, Hayes said, but shared that the B-52 was supporting the “radar modernisation programme”.