CALIFORNIA, 16 June 2026 (TON):  US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a US Air Force base in Southern California's Mojave Desert and burst into flames, killing all eight people aboard, military officials confirmed.

The bomber went down around 11:20 am Monday during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Those on board included government contractors and uniformed personnel.

Colonel James Hayes, the Deputy Commander for the 412 Test Wing said at a news conference that no one has survived. “We lost eight great Americans,” he said. The cause of crash was not immediately clear, how a Court of Inquiry has been ordered. The 412th Test Wing runs the base also conducts developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service.