A B-52 bomber on a test flight crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight crew members aboard. The aircraft was descending at a rate of nearly a mile per minute before impact, according to preliminary reports.
Crash Details
The incident occurred on Monday, June 15, 2026, near the base in the Mojave Desert. Video footage from KABC showed law enforcement responding to the scene. The B-52 was on a routine test flight when it went down under unknown circumstances.
Investigation Underway
Military officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The Air Force has not released the names of the deceased pending notification of next of kin. The B-52 Stratofortress has been a stalwart of the U.S. bomber fleet for decades, and this incident marks one of the deadliest in recent years for the program.
Historical Context
B-52s have been involved in several accidents over their long service history, but fatal crashes have become rare due to improved safety measures. The last major B-52 crash occurred in 2018 when a bomber crashed in Guam, though no fatalities were reported. This tragedy underscores the risks inherent in military aviation testing.
