Eight crew members, including two company employees Boing, was killed in a B-52 bomber crash shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday (June 15).
The B-52 bomber, which is manufactured by Boeing, was undergoing routine testing as part of a radar system modernization program, Air Force officials said. It took off at 11:20 local time and crashed soon after.
Military officials will launch an investigation into the cause of the crash, but detailed results will not be made available to the public for at least six months, it said.
Edwards Air Force Base, where the accident occurred, is used as a test ground for not only Air Force aircraft, but other aircraft, helicopters, drones and even space shuttles, thanks to its long runways.
Among the oldest aircraft of the Air Force
The B-52 is one of the oldest aircraft in the US Air Force and entered service in 1955. This long-range heavy bomber, which usually has a crew of five, can carry around 31.750 kilograms of bombs and other munitions.
The version currently in service, the B-52H, continues to play a significant role in the Air Force's arsenal, which had 76 such aircraft before the accident.
It was also used in bombing missions during the current conflict between the US and Iran. The B-52H can also carry nuclear bombs and cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
Photo: Wikipedia.orgUS Air Force B-52 bomber
Previous accidents
This is the deadliest accident involving a B-52 bomber since 1982, CNN writes. The crash killed nine crew members during training at the Sacramento Air Force Base.
Before Monday's crash, the last fatal crash of the aircraft type occurred in 2008, when six Air Force personnel died after their B-52 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guam while preparing for a parade flyover.
The production of this bomber stopped in 1962, and numerous modernizations extended its service life and allowed it to remain in service.
Source: CNN
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