Eight people aboard a B-52 bomber are feared to be dead after the jet crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in California, according to military officials.
Horrific footage of the scene showed a charred runway at the military base in Kern County with smoke still billowing by Monday afternoon.
Edwards Air Force Base said eight people were on a routine test mission when the B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at 11:20 a.m. local time.
Officials believe no one on board survived the fiery crash.
“Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel,” the air base said in a press release issued hours after the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time,” the military base wrote on X.
Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing at the base, called the crash a “horrible tragedy.”
"We lost eight great Americans," he said during a news conference later Monday, per ABC News.
The Edwards airfield, where the jet crashed, was closed Monday afternoon with all inbound aircraft diverted, the air base said in a previous X post.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” according to the military base.
It’s unclear what caused the crash. But Jeff Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, suspects it was a flight control malfunction.
“I think it was definitely a controllability issue. Now, whether that was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure, I’m not sure,” the aviation safety expert said in an Associated Press article.
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can fly at “high subsonic speeds” up to 50,000 feet in the air, according to the Air Force.
The bomber can carry nuclear or precision-guided weapons.
B-52 bombers are usually operated by a five-person crew, including two pilots, a navigator, a radar navigator and an electronic warfare officer, according to reports.
“For more than 60 years, B-52s have been the backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States,” the Air Force writes on its website.
B-52 bombers delivered 40 percent of all weapons dropped by coalition forces during Desert Storm, the combat phase of the U.S.-led Gulf War against Iraq in the early 1990s.
The jets have also been deployed in support of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, which began at the end of February. Trump claimed on Monday that a preliminary peace deal with Tehran is “all signed.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom called Monday’s crash “tragic.”
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Edwards Air Force Base community impacted by this tragic incident,” he wrote on X. “Grateful to the first responders and emergency crew currently on the ground.”
Representative Vince Fong, who serves the community affected by the crash, wrote, “Absolutely heartbreaking. God bless the 8 crew members on board.
“Amanda and I are praying for them, their families, and all those in the Edwards community. Rest in peace.”
Texas congressman August Pfluger, who is a retired Air Force colonel, also said he was “heartbroken” over the incident.
“Camille and I are praying for each of their families,” he wrote.
