A long-range bomber crashed shortly after takeoff Monday from Edwards Air Force Base in California.
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The B-52 Stratofortress went down around 11:20 a.m. local time and there were no immediate reports of casualties, officials at the base posted on Facebook.
Edwards Air Force Base is about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Emergency crews were responding to the crash. Aerial video of the crash site showed a large black, smoking debris field in the desert.
Built by Boeing, the Stratofortress is a long-range bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Nicknamed “the Buff,” for Big Ugly Fat Fellow, it’s been the go-to bomber for the U.S. military since 1955, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.
Each plane costs $84 million and is manned by a crew of five, including an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer.
