A U.S. Air Force bomber has crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, scattering wreckage across the airfield in what was described during live coverage as a devastating impact. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as the situation unfolded, with the cause of the crash not yet known and officials still working to piece together what happened.
The wreckage came to rest off to one side of the runway rather than directly on it. The debris field was large, with parts of the aircraft strewn across the ground, and so little of the airframe left intact that there was virtually nothing in the scattered pieces to even suggest it had been an aircraft, an indication of just how violent the crash had been.
First responders from Edwards Air Force Base moved quickly to contain the situation. Three ambulances were gathered at a command post alongside firefighters, while large trucks worked one corner of the site, still battling hot spots left by the crash. Additional personnel could be seen walking the scene to begin surveying the extent of the damage.
The exact sequence of events remained unclear in the immediate aftermath. Early observations suggested the aircraft had gotten airborne before something, possibly a roll, sent it down, though there was caution that it could not be said with any confidence how the crash had unfolded or from which direction the plane had come in.
The aircraft was believed to be a B-52, a long-serving strategic bomber that normally carries a crew of five. The status of any crew members aboard had not been confirmed as crews worked the scene, with officials yet to release details on who was on the aircraft or their condition at the time the wreckage was still being secured.
Authorities signaled that the incident would lead to a lengthy investigation, with the Air Force expected to release information as it becomes available. For the time being, the priority on the ground was extinguishing the remaining fires and securing a debris field that stretched across the airfield at one of the country's most prominent flight-test bases.