8 presumed dead in B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California

Eight people are presumed dead after a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, according to the base.

The crash happened at about 11:20 a.m. on the Edwards airfield while the aircraft was carrying eight people on a routine test mission, the base said in a statement.

“Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” the statement said, adding that emergency response personnel were at the scene and officials were working to account for all personnel.

The airfield was closed after the crash, and all inbound aircraft were diverted, according to an earlier update from the base. Officials also suspended all non-commercial visitor passes until further notice, saying the installation was focusing entirely on emergency response operations.

Images from the scene showed a large burn scar and smoke rising from the crash site near the runway.

The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range strategic bomber that has been used by the U.S. Air Force for decades and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons. The aircraft typically carries a crew of several airmen.

Edwards Air Force Base, located in the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles, is one of the Air Force’s most important flight test centers and has long been used for experimental aircraft, weapons testing and aerospace research.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.