CALIFORNIA (MNN); A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, prompting an immediate emergency response, military officials said on Monday.
In a statement posted on X, the air base confirmed that emergency teams were dispatched to the crash site and that response operations were continuing. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the incident or whether there were any casualties.
Footage from the area showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the desert location where the aircraft went down.
The B-52 Stratofortress, manufactured by Boeing, is a long-range strategic bomber that has been in service with the US Air Force since 1955. The aircraft is typically operated by a five-member crew and is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds (31,750 kilograms) of conventional or nuclear weapons.
Over the decades, the bomber has played a major role in numerous military campaigns, including the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more recent missions in the Middle East.
Edwards Air Force Base, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, is one of the most significant military aviation facilities in the United States. The base is historically known as the site where pilot Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947 and currently hosts around 10,000 military personnel, contractors, and civilian employees.
The incident comes nearly a year after a regional passenger aircraft flying over North Dakota was forced to make a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a potential mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber.
Each B-52 aircraft is estimated to be worth approximately $110 million, making it one of the most valuable and enduring assets in the US Air Force fleet.
