8 crew members believed dead in a B-52 bomber crash at California’s Edwards Air Force Base
Eight people aboard the bomber are believed dead, and officials said the crash remains under investigation after the aircraft burst into flames.
- 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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Herald Bulletin
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
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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