A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a US Air Force base in Southern California's Mojave Desert and burst into flames, killing all eight people aboard, military officials said. Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down around 11:20 am Monday during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Black smoke rose from a large swath of charred desert near the runway on the base, with emergency vehicles nearby.