B-52 Bomber Crashes After Takeoff at Edwards Base
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Emergency crews responded, with casualties not yet reported.
A U. S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, base officials said in a post on X.
According to the base, the strategic bomber went down at Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m. local time, or 9:20 p.m. Moscow time. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene immediately after the crash.
Officials have not yet reported whether anyone was killed or injured. The base also has not said how many people were on board the aircraft when it went down. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Edwards Air Force Base is located in the Mojave Desert, about 150 kilometers north of Los Angeles. The site hosts the U. S. Air Force Test Center, the Air Force Test Pilot School and NASA’s Armstrong research center.
The B-52 Stratofortress is a Boeing-built U.S. multi-role strategic bomber. The aircraft first flew in 1952 and entered service with the U. S. Air Force in 1955. It is designed for long-range strikes using both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of five and a flight range of more than 14,000 kilometers without refueling.