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Eight people are presumed dead after a B-52 bomber crashed Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
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The B-52 Stratofortress went down shortly after its 11:20 a.m. PT takeoff from Edwards, the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force, which oversees base operations, said in a statement.
“Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” officials said.
The aircraft was on a “routine test mission” when it went down. The cause of the crash is under investigation, it said.
The entire airfield was closed, and all incoming flights were being diverted, the base said on Facebook.
Edwards Air Force Base is about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Aerial video of the crash site shows a large black, smoking debris field in the desert.
Built by Boeing, the Stratofortress is a long-range bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Nicknamed “the Buff,” for Big Ugly Fat Fellow, it’s been the go-to bomber for the U.S. military since 1955, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.
Each plane costs $84 million and is manned by a crew of five, including an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer.
Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.
Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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