8 crew members believed dead in a B-52 bomber crash at California’s Edwards Air Force Base
- On Monday, June 15, 2026, a United States Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California, with all eight people aboard presumed dead.
- The B-52H was conducting a routine test mission at the Mojave Desert facility, which serves as the primary test center for Air Force aircraft and weapons systems development.
- "Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable," stated Air Force Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing, adding, "We lost eight great Americans."
- Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among the eight victims aboard the aircraft, which was supporting a radar modernization program at the time of the crash.
- Military investigations typically require months to complete as officials work to determine the specific factors contributing to the loss of the irreplaceable Cold War-era bomber.
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B-52 was in the air a very short time before crashing and killing all 8 on board
A B-52 that crashed during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California was in the air a very short time before slamming into the ground about halfway down the runway. All eight people aboard were killed in…
Wife of B-52 crash victim speaks out: 'Something was wrong with the plane'
The wife of one of the crew members aboard the B-52 bomber that crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California Monday, killing all eight people on board, spoke with KTLA 5 News Tuesday. Lauren Smith, the wife of Jeromy Smith, a flight test engineer for the U.S. Air Force who died in the [...]
US military archbishop mourns victims of B-52 plane crash
(OSV News) — The head of the nation’s Catholic archdiocese for the armed forces expressed his condolences after eight persons were killed June 15 when a strategic bomber crashed during a test flight at a U.S. base in California. “Certainly, the bishops, priests, religious, and staff of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, join me in offering condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident at Edwards Ai…
B-52 on test flight plunged at nearly a mile a minute before crashing, early data shows
The flight tracking that was available Tuesday shows the bomber turning to the northeast right after taking off and nearly completing a sharp turn before crashing on another runway, according to AirNav Systems.
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