A B-52 bomber crashes during a test flight shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing eight people aboard, according to multiple outlets. Early, limited flight-tracking data indicates the aircraft turns to the northeast soon after leaving the ground and then makes a sharp right maneuver, nearly completing a 180-degree turn. The tracking also shows the bomber plunging toward the ground at a very high rate—described across reports as nearly a mile per minute or more than a kilometre per minute—before the crash occurs on or near a runway area. Officials say they do not yet know what caused the accident. The investigation is expected to take months, with one report citing that it could last up to six months. Outlets consistently characterize the available information as preliminary and based on restricted tracking data, while emphasizing that investigators are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.