8 crew members killed when B-52 bomber crashes during ‘test mission’

Eight crew members were killed on Monday after a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Air Force officials said the crash occurred during a “routine test mission,” KABC reported.

It is the deadliest crash involving a B-52 bomber since 1982, according to CNN. Forty-four years ago, crash, nine crew members died in test training at Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento.

According to USA Today, the last time a fatal accident involving a B-52 Stratofortress occurred in the U.S. was on June 24, 1994. That is when a practice flight conducted before an air show at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, stalled while performing maneuvers at low altitude, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives.

Lt. Col. Arthur “Bud” Holland and three crew members were killed that day, according to USA Today.

On Monday, officials said the Stratofortress crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff, KNBC reported.

The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. PT at the remote base, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, according to the television station.

An initial investigation determined that the crash was not survivable.

The victims were described as a mixed crew of uniformed military, government civilians and government contractors, KABC reported. Their names were not immediately released as officials were working to notify next of kin.

“We lost eight great Americans,” spokesperson Col. James Hayes said during the news conference. “This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable, and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones.”

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, officials said. It could take up to six months to complete an investigation, Hayes told reporters.

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955, according to The Associated Press.

Boeing said two of its employees were on Monday’s flight, CNN reported.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the eight crew members who lost their lives in the B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, California,” Boeing said in a statement. “It is with great sadness that we confirm two Boeing employees were among those on board. We are in contact with their families and are offering support.”

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