A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, according to military officials. All eight people on board were reportedly killed in the crash. The base said the aircraft was on a routine test mission at the time.
The crash was reported at around 11:20 a.m. local time, according to the base. Edwards Air Force Base is located approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles in Kern County. Video from the scene showed thick black smoke rising from an area near the airfield.
