B-52 Crashes Off Guam

With 6 crew members considered dead, rescue focus shifts to recovery

(AP) - The US Air Force said today all six crew members aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed Monday off Guam were killed. A wide search effort has shifted focus from rescue to recovery of the crew, said officials at Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific island. More»

Unmanned, hypersonic aircraft flies 3,500mph

(NEWSER) - The Air Force let loose with an unmanned, experimental hypersonic jet yesterday, and watched it shatter all manner of record. The X-51 WaveRider tore across the Pacific at 3,500 mph, using a hypersonic engine that runs on air and uses virtually no moving parts. It stayed airborne for 200 seconds before falling into the ocean, making it the most successful hypersonic flight ever, the LA Times reports; every other attempt has lasted 10 seconds or less. More»

Little hope 24 hours after accident off Calif.

(NEWSER) - The search continues tonight for survivors from last night’s midair collision of a Coast Guard plane and a Marine helicopter off the Southern California coast, but hopes grow ever slimmer of finding any of the nine crew members alive. Officials have yet to re-examine air traffic recordings for any clues on how the aircraft collided. More»

Pilot reported huge fireball

(NEWSER) - Nine people are missing after a Coast Guard plane collided with a military helicopter last night off the coast of southern California. A pilot flying in the area reported seeing a huge fireball. Seven people were traveling aboard the plane, and two were in the chopper. A search-and-rescue mission is underway near the island of San Clemente, AP reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The Brazilian Air Force has recovered the first two bodies from the Air France crash, the BBC reports. They also found a suitcase and a backback with a laptop inside. “We confirm the recovery from the water debris and bodies from the Air France plane," an air force spokesman said. “We can't give more information without confirming what we have.” The remains were recovered this morning, and experts are on their way to investigate. More»