Pakistan, June 16 -- A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert on Monday, killing all eight people on board, military officials confirmed.

The aircraft was conducting a routine test mission in support of a radar modernization programme when it went down moments after leaving the runway. Witnesses reported seeing a massive fireball and thick black smoke rising from the crash site, which could be seen from miles away across the desert landscape.

Air Force Colonel James Hayes said the aircraft carried a mixed crew that included military personnel, government civilians and contractors. Boeing, the company that designed and built the iconic bomber, confirme...