A B-52 Stratofortress with eight people onboard crashed shortly after takeoff on a test mission Monday from Edwards Air Force base in California’s Mojave Desert, according to the military base.

The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. at the remote base about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. In a news release Monday afternoon, the base said eight people were on the aircraft during a routine test mission.

“Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” the statement continued. “Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel.”

Video showed black smoke rising from an area near the airfield, which was closed. All inbound aircraft were diverted, the base said.

Details about what led to the crash and the identities of those onboard were not immediately available.

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which generally has a crew of five, is a long-range bomber used for a variety of military missions. Capable of subsonic speeds and altitudes of 50,000 feet, the bomber was a workhorse of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and other conflicts.

Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.