Horrific footage<\/a> of the scene showed a charred runway at the military base in Kern County with smoke still billowing by Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Officials believe no one on board survived the fiery crash. <\/p>\n \u201cEmergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel,\u201d the air base said in a press release<\/a> issued hours after the crash. <\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time,\u201d the military base wrote on X. <\/p>\n Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing at the base, called the crash a \u201chorrible tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n “We lost eight great Americans,” he said during a news conference later Monday, per ABC News<\/a>. <\/p>\n 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<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cAll non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,\u201d according to the military base. <\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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\u2019m not sure,\u201d the aviation safety expert said in an Associated Press<\/a> article.<\/p>\n The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can fly at \u201chigh subsonic speeds\u201d up to 50,000 feet in the air, according to the Air Force. <\/p>\n The bomber can carry nuclear or precision-guided weapons.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cFor more than 60 years, B-52s have been the backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States,\u201d the Air Force writes on its website<\/a>. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The jets have also been deployed in support of President Donald Trump\u2019s war with Iran<\/a>, which began at the end of February. Trump claimed on Monday that a preliminary peace deal with Tehran is \u201call signed.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n California Governor Gavin Newsom<\/a> called Monday\u2019s crash \u201ctragic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Edwards Air Force Base community impacted by this tragic incident,\u201d he wrote <\/a>on X. \u201cGrateful to the first responders and emergency crew currently on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n Representative Vince Fong, who serves the community affected by the crash, wrote<\/a>, \u201cAbsolutely heartbreaking. God bless the 8 crew members on board. <\/p>\n \u201cAmanda and I are praying for them, their families, and all those in the Edwards community. Rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Eight](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781577734_103_download...jpeg\")
Eight people aboard a B-52 bomber are feared to be dead after the jet crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in California, officials say (AP)<\/p>\n![\"Smoke](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b52-edwards-air-force.png\")
Smoke was seen billowing from the wreckage from afar (ALERTCalifornia\/ UC San Diego)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SEI301572587.jpg\")
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can fly at \u2018high subsonic speeds\u2019 up to 50,000 feet in the air (AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n