Eight people, both military personnel and civilians, were killed yesterday, Monday, in the crash of a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bomber, shortly after takeoff in California.

The news was confirmed by the U.S. military, which stated that there was “no chance of survival” in the accident.

“Edwards Air Force Base became the scene of a terrible tragedy; we lost eight great Americans,” said Wing Commander James Hayes during a press conference.

The strategic bomber, which was on a “routine test flight” carrying military personnel, government officials, and civilians, crashed “shortly after takeoff at 11:20” (local time; 9:20 p.m. Greek time), according to a statement from the 412th Test Wing, based at Edwards Air Force Base.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the B-52s, stated in a press release that two of its employees are among the victims of the crash.

Images taken from helicopter immediately after the accident show a large area that has been charred near the base, about 90 kilometers north of Los Angeles, in an area covered mainly by desert.

The aircraft “took off and crashed almost immediately, before catching fire,” according to Wing Commander Hayes.

Despite the rapid response of emergency services, it was clear from the outset that the chances of survivors were nil. “As soon as images of the crash were examined, it was determined that this was a fatal accident, that there was no chance of survival,” as the officer put it.

He made no assumptions about the causes of the crash. An investigation is underway, the U.S. military reported.

Colonel Hayes clarified that the victims’ identities would not be released until their families had been notified, a process that was underway and could take the entire day.

Following the accident, the base closed its airfield and diverted all aircraft scheduled to land there to other locations so that the facility “could devote itself fully” to the operation, according to its statement.

This particular type of bomber entered service with the USAF, the U.S. Air Force, in the 1950s. With a vast range of up to 14,160 kilometers, depending on configuration and payload, the massive, four-engine strategic bomber can carry a variety of weapons, including nuclear ones.

Typically, it is operated by a five-member crew—pilot, co-pilot, radar operator, navigator, and electronic warfare officer—according to Air Force data.

It has been used in the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—and in the war against Iran, which broke out on February 28.

According to Wing Commander Hayes, a new radar system was to be tested during yesterday’s flight.

California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his condolences to the victims’ families via X.

Edwards Air Force Base is primarily used for testing weapons systems; among other things, it has been the site of flights of low-observable (“stealth”) unmanned aerial vehicles and jet aircraft capable of flying at six times the speed of sound.