San Jose, California, June 15, (dpa/GNA) – A US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after take-off in the US state of California on Monday, authorities said.
Emergency services were on the scene immediately, Edwards Air Force Base announced on Facebook. The base did not provide any further details, such as whether anyone had been injured. According to the report, the accident occurred on Monday in the late morning.
B-52 aircraft are long-range bombers used by the US Air Force that normally carry a crew of five. They are capable of dropping both conventional warheads and nuclear bombs.
The military air base was temporarily closed, according to the statement, with all incoming aircraft being diverted to other airports.
Edwards Air Force Base is located around 100 kilometres north of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. In the past, the US military has used the base to test, among other things, stealth drones and jets capable of travelling at six times the speed of sound.
GNA