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Eight presumed dead after B-52 bomber crashes at California air force base
B-52 crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards air force base in southern California’s Mojave Desert, officials say
TL;DR
- A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base.
- Eight people on board are presumed dead.
- The aircraft was on a routine test mission to modernize its radar.
- The crash occurred in California's Mojave Desert.
- The B-52 Stratofortress entered service in 1955 and is designed to carry conventional and nuclear weapons.
- An investigation into the cause of the crash has begun, with findings potentially taking up to six months to be made public.
- Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suspects a flight control malfunction.
- Flight tests are considered riskier than normal operations.