8 crew members likely dead after B-52 bomber crashes in California

Eight crew members are believed dead after an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California. The aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. local time during what officials described as a routine test mission. Edwards Air Force Base said the crash occurred shortly after takeoff and that initial indications are that the crash was not survivable.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene, and images from the site showed a large plume of black smoke rising over the base. The base posted on X that it has closed operations and diverted incoming aircraft as of 12:48 p.m. local time. Edwards hosts advanced flight-testing programs, including the Air Force Test Center and Test Pilot School.

The 480 square-mile base in Kern County is where pilot Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound in 1947.

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