Eight Dead in Fiery US Bomber Crash in California

Eight people died when a US 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. 

"Edwards Air Force Base experienced a horrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans," Colonel James Hayes told reporters at the base. Hayes said the B-52 Stratofortress -- a long-range bomber used by the US military since the 1950s -- was on a test sortie as part of a radar modernization process.