8 believed dead in B-52 bomber crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California, officials say

Eight people who were on board a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress are believed to be dead after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base Monday morning. Emergency crews responded to the scene and are working to account for all personnel, officials said. 

Edwards Air Force Base wrote in a news release that “initial indications are that the crash was not survivable.”

Aerial footage taken shortly after the crash showed a large smoldering burn mark on the land.

The aircraft was on a routine test mission at Edwards airfield, located in the western Mojave Desert, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It went down at about 11:20 a.m. local time.

The airfield is closed and all inbound aircraft are being diverted, base officials said in an earlier statement.

“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations. We will continue to update as more information is confirmed,” the statement said.

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy, jet-powered strategic bomber.  

No further information is available at this time. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.