A US B-52 bomber crashed near Guam on Monday and a search was underway for the six crew members aboard the plane that was on a training mission, the US military said, according to dpa. The Stratofortress bomber was operating out of Andersen Air Force and went missing off Guam's northwest coast, according to a statement issued by the base. The plane was not carrying weapons. "The status of the aircrew is unavailable at this time," the airbase said. Local media, quoting the US Coast Guard, said two members of the crew had been recovered but their status was unclear. The aircraft crashed in waters about 40 kilometres north-west of Apra Harbor, according to the Pacific Daily News. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Specialist Lee Putnam said that coast guard boats and helicopters had found floating debris. The accident is the second for the US Air Force this year on Guam. In February, a B-2 crashed at Andersen Air Force Base in the first-ever crash of a stealth bomber. The military estimated the loss of the aircraft at 1.4 billion dollars.
