Edwards Air Force Base is the center of the US Air Force for testing various technologies from the equipment of military machines. The mentioned B-52 Stratofortress, according to the NBC station, was conducting a test flight to support the modernization of the radar from the standard equipment of the aircraft.
On board was a mixed crew of eight consisting of military personnel, government civilian employees and civilian contractors. They all perished. The plane itself (registration number 60-0061) was also destroyed.
The crashed plane landed inside the perimeter of the base, the official cause of the crash is not yet known. Experienced aviation safety analysts believe, according to NBC, that it was most likely a problem with the controllability of the machine, either as a result of the failure of the flight control systems, a malfunction of the engine or the failure of one of the tested devices.
The B-52 has served the US Air Force for over 70 years
The B-52 bomber has been in the service of the US Air Force for over 70 years, and the youngest machines date back to the early 1960s. The aircraft, which can carry 32 tons of ammunition and have a combat range of over 14,000 kilometers without refueling, have been repeatedly upgraded in the past. It is assumed that they will remain in service until the 1950s.
B-52s still play a significant role in the Air Force’s arsenal, which includes 76 of these aircraft. They were also deployed during bombing campaigns during the current conflict between the USA and Iran. They can also carry nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
Before Monday’s crash, there was a fatal accident with this aircraft in 2008, when the B-52 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guam while preparing for a parade flight. Six members of the air force were killed at the time.
Departure of the B-52H Stratofortress for maneuvers from the RAF base in Fairford, EnglandVideo: AP
