The eight occupants of a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber have lost their lives after the aircraft crashed "immediately after" takeoff during a test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, in California, military authorities have confirmed.
"Today, Edwards Air Force Base has suffered a terrible tragedy and we have lost eight brave Americans. This accident is considered fatal," Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the base's host unit, told the media.
Hayes specified that "it was a B-52 that was in the initial takeoff phase supporting the radar modernization program," as part of a local test mission. According to his account, "it took off and immediately after it crashed and caught fire."
The colonel indicated that, "after reviewing the accident footage, it has been determined that it was an unrecoverable accident with no possibility of survival," and added that, after the incident, the protocol to inform the families of the deceased military personnel has been initiated.
Regarding the crew composition, he explained that "it was a mixed crew consisting of military personnel, public officials, and government contractors who were supporting this test mission," although he stressed that no further details will be released until the notification process for the victims' families is completed.
Hayes also emphasized that, for now, the Air Force has "no indication as to what the cause" of the incident was and outlined a work schedule that could extend for several months.
"At this time, we are going to establish a provisional safety board to gather the initial facts, which will lead to a safety investigation board that will analyze the root causes. Once this is completed, which will take approximately 30 days, it will move on to an accident investigation board, which will determine all the information we can disclose to the public and to the next parties involved," Hayes explained, before highlighting that "this process can take up to six months."
His statements have occurred shortly after the base's public relations office indicated that the "first indications" of the investigation pointed to the accident having been "fatal", in a statement in which it added that "emergency personnel are on the scene and authorities are working to locate all occupants".
On the other hand, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink has expressed himself "deeply saddened by the loss of eight lives" and has wanted to pay tribute to the "airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day" in support of the operations of this branch of the United States Armed Forces.