B-52 bomber crashes off Guam

A U.S. Air Force B-52 with six crew members on board crashed off the island of Guam on Monday, an Air Force spokesman said.

Rescuers with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy were searching a point in the Pacific Ocean about 30 miles northwest of Guam, a U.S. territory, where the plane is believed to have crashed, said Capt. Joel Stark, spokesman for Andersen Air Force Base.

The Coast Guard said two people have been recovered from the waters. Their condition was not immediately available.

Rescue crews from the Navy, Coast Guard and local fire department were searching for the others.

Lt. Col. Thomas at the Pacific Air Force office in Hawaii said the aircraft was deployed to Guam's Andersen Air Force Base from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He said there six crew on board.

Officials said the crash occurred about 25 miles northwest of Apra Harbor.

The B-52, despite its age, has an admirable safety record. Aviation Week's ARES blog reports that the last crash of a B-52 was in 1994; that accident was blamed on pilot error.

A B-2 bomber taking off from Guam crashed earlier this year.