Eight feared dead after a U.S. Air Force B‑52 crashes in California.

Eight people were confirmed dead after a B‑52 bomber crashed moments after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday morning.

Officials said the incident is the deadliest B‑52 crash since 1982, when nine crew members were killed during a training exercise at Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento.

The B‑52 Stratofortress departed on a routine test flight at about 11:20 a.m. local time before going down shortly after takeoff, Air Force officials reported.

The mission has shifted from a rescue effort to a recovery operation, Colonel James Hayes told a press briefing, calling the event “tragic and unsurvivable.”

Emergency responders arrived quickly at the crash site, where the aircraft left a massive column of black smoke that could be seen from a distance.

Chief Master Sgt. Joshua T. Skarloken said that efforts were underway to notify the families of the victims, who included military personnel, civilian government employees and contractors.

Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, confirmed that two of its employees were on the flight. “We are in contact with their families and are offering support,” the company said in a statement.

The tragedy prompted condolences from top officials, including Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Governor Gavin Newsom, who expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and the Edwards Air Force Base community.

Air Force authorities said the bomber was participating in a radar modernisation programme test at the time of the crash.

Video footage shown by CNN affiliate KCAL displayed a large scorched section on the runway and lingering smoke, although identifiable wreckage could not be clearly seen.

Although the military base has reopened, officials announced that operations would remain suspended until Tuesday.

Colonel Hayes said a formal investigation into the cause of the crash would begin immediately, adding that detailed findings may not be publicly available for approximately six months.