Eight dead in US bomber crash in California: military
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber takes off from RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026.(AFP)
Eight people died when a U.S. B-52 bomber crashed and erupted into a catastrophic fire shortly after takeoff at an air force base in California on Monday, officials said.
The heavy bomber was on a routine testing mission with a mixture of military, government and civilian contractors on board when it came down in a fireball at Edwards Air Force Base, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.
Footage of the aftermath of the crash, which officials said was "unsurvivable," showed a large charred patch of ground on which almost nothing remained of the huge plane manufactured by Boeing.
