Tragedy Strikes: U.S. Air Force B-52 Bomber Crashes in Mojave Desert

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base. All eight crew members are presumed dead. The aircraft, designed for nuclear and conventional missions, was on a routine test and the cause is under investigation. An emergency response team is on site.

A B-52 Stratofortress bomber, part of the U.S. Air Force fleet, crashed on Monday following its takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, located in the Mojave Desert.

The crash has resulted in the presumed loss of all eight crew members aboard, according to an official statement. The Stratofortress was on a routine test mission when the incident occurred shortly after 11:20 a.m. local time.

An aerial survey of the crash site, approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles, revealed a scorched desert area about the size of a football field. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, while emergency teams are deployed on-site. This marks the first B-52 crash since a 2016 incident in Guam.