Overview
- A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff during a routine test mission supporting the Radar Modernization Program, and officials have confirmed all eight people aboard are presumed dead.
- The crash occurred on Monday at about 11:20 a.m. local time on the Edwards airfield, producing large fires, a heavy plume of black smoke and a charred debris field with little recognizable wreckage.
- The crew included uniformed military, government civilians and contractors, and Boeing confirmed two of its employees were among those killed; identities have not been released pending next-of-kin notification.
- Base emergency crews moved from rescue to recovery, the airfield was closed and inbound flights diverted, and an interim safety board began on-site evidence collection of wreckage and flight data recorders.
- The Air Force has opened a formal, multi-stage investigation that will move from initial fact-gathering to a safety investigation and then an accident investigation board, a process officials say could take up to several months and will determine what information can be released publicly.