Mike Baker

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Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.

A routine flight of one of America's most iconic bombers ended with the loss of eight lives on Monday.

A B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California in what was the deadliest B-52 tragedy in more than four decades.

A towering column of black smoke rose over the base, which sits roughly 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, while the crash left a massive burn scar across the runway and surrounding desert.

Now, at this point, the investigation is underway, and there are no details as to the cause of the crash.

Air Force officials say the Boeing-made bomber took off at approximately 11.20 a.m.

local time on what was supposed to be a routine test mission supporting a radar modernization program.

Beyond that, investigators have released a few details.

What we do know is that there were no survivors.

Air Force Colonel James Hayes described the crash as, quote, tragic and unsurvivable.

Video shows wreckage so badly damaged that few recognizable sections of the aircraft are identifiable amid the charred debris field.

As for the crew, it was somewhat unusual, though not necessarily unusual, for a test flight mission.

The Air Force says those aboard included service members, government civilians, and contractors.

Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among the dead.

Now, events like this have become exceedingly rare.