CALIFORNIA: Eight crew members—consisting of military personnel, government civilians, and contractors—were killed when a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed immediately after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base on Monday at 11:20 local time.

The aircraft was on a routine test mission supporting the base’s radar modernization program when it crashed on the runway and burst into flames, leaving no survivors.

In response, base officials temporarily grounded operations, closed the airfield, and diverted inbound flights.

Investigations into the cause of the accident are underway and could take between 30 days and six months to complete.