by Michele Catahay, KUAM NewsMonday, July 21, 2008 Subscribe to Michele's newsfeed
Officials from Andersen Air Force Base are releasing few details into this morning's B-52H Stratofortress crash. However, the extensive search and rescue operation for the six crew members on board is continuing at this hour. According to an AAFB release, emergency responders were called to duty around 9:45 a.m. when the B-52 crashed Northwest of Guam. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Guam Office's Terry Pyle, the B-52 left Andersen Air Force Base at 9:00 a.m. Around an hour or so later, the local FAA Office lost contact with the pilot of the aircraft.Andersen Air Force Base 36th Wing Public Affairs Sgt. Stephen Teel confirms that a B-52 was scheduled to participate in a fly over during the Liberation Parade, but he could not confirm if the down aircraft is the same plane that was scheduled to participate in the fly over. The debris site is located approximately 25 nautical miles Northwest of Guam and as of four o'clock this afternoon, officials were still searching for the six crew members believed to be on board.The Coast Guard Cutter Assateague responeded to the aircraft crash along with two 25-foot safe boats. The Guam Police Department's Marine Patrol Division also was activated to assist in the search efforts as two Navy HSC-25 aircraft searched for any survivors.Lt. Elizabeth Buendia from the US Coast Guard says they have found some debris described as "boxed materials." She says P3 aircraft from Kadena Airforce Base in Japan are headed to the scene. The B-52 was deployed to Guam from Barksdale Airforce Base in Louisiana as part of DoD's continuous bomber presence in the Pacific.