A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
“ALERT: A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m. Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing. More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the base said in a statement.
The base later added, “Update- 12:48 PDT: The airfield has been closed, and all inbound aircraft are being diverted. All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”
Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) shared a report on the crash and wrote on X, “Please join me in praying for the B-52 crew at Edwards Air Force Base and the entire Edwards community.”
Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) similarly wrote, “Heather and I are praying for everyone involved in today’s B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, especially the crew, their families, and the first responders on scene.”
Details of the crash are developing.
According to the U.S. Air Force, the B-52 Stratofortress is the “backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States.”
“The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions,” the Air Force’s website says. “Updated with modern technology, the B-52 is capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of our nation’s defenses. The Air Force currently expects to operate B-52s through 2050.”
