US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashes shortly after take-off at California base
A US military aircraft crashed at Edwards Air Force Base, located north of Los Angeles, on Monday morning, according to a statement posted by the base on social media.“A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 am.,” the base said on Facebook. “Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” reported CNN.Officials have not yet confirmed whether there were any casualties or injuries.Aerial footage from the crash site showed a vast scorched area, with little visible debris remaining from the aircraft.A journalist aboard a broadcast helicopter described seeing a “large plume” of black smoke rising from the site shortly after the crash.Several emergency vehicles were deployed around the burned area as response operations continued.The B-52 is a long-range strategic bomber that has served with the US Air Force since the 1950s. With a combat range of up to 8,800 miles, the aircraft is capable of carrying a nuclear payload.The bomber has been used by the United States in a number of military campaigns, including conflicts in Vietnam, the Gulf region, Iraq, Afghanistan and, most recently, Iran.Edwards Air Force Base is situated in California’s Mojave Desert, northeast of Los Angeles. The vast desert base, where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound in 1947, is about 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles.