Status of crew remains unclear
Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Air Force Pentagon headquarters referred questions to the initial announcement of the crash and declined to provide additional details.
“More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the base added.
The B-52 typically operates with a crew of five, including two pilots, a radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer.
The status of those on board was not immediately known.
The aircraft is one of 76 B-52s remaining in the Air Force inventory. The fleet is expected to remain in service for decades as the Air Force pursues extensive modernisation upgrades.
The nuclear-capable bomber first entered service in the 1950s and remains a central component of the US strategic bomber force.
