Eight people, including two Boeing employees, were killed when a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed immediately after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California on Monday at 11:20 a.m. local time. The aircraft was on a routine test mission supporting the base’s radar modernization program when it went down on the runway and burst into flames, sending a large plume of black smoke visible for miles.
Col. James Hayes said the base lost “eight great Americans,” describing the dead as a mixed crew of military personnel, government civilians, and government contractors. Edwards Air Force Base said early indications showed the crash was not survivable. The crew’s next of kin are being notified, and the victims are expected to be named 24 hours after notification.
Officials said the crash was fully contained within the base, but operations at Edwards have been temporarily grounded. The airfield has been closed, inbound aircraft are being diverted, and non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended while emergency response operations continue.
Hayes said initial footage showed the event was an “unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable.” No cause has been determined yet, and investigators will begin a formal review to identify what happened. Preliminary investigations could take up to 30 days, while a more detailed cause analysis may take more than six months.
Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among those killed and said it is in contact with their families. The company declined to provide further comment.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the crash a tragic incident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the Edwards Air Force Base community.
The B-52 Stratofortress has been in U.S. military service since the 1950s and is one of the most recognizable long-range strategic bombers in American history. Nicknamed the “BUFF,” a reference to “Big Ugly Fat,” the aircraft is capable of carrying a massive payload, including conventional bombs and nuclear cruise missiles. It can refuel in midair, giving it an effectively unlimited strike range, and has played a major role in U.S. military strategy since the Cold War.
The bomber typically flies with a five-person crew, including the aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator, and electronic warfare officer. In this case, authorities said the aircraft carried a mixed crew of military, government, and contractor personnel. Officials have not released the identities of those killed, pending notification of families.
Aerial footage from the crash site showed a charred section of runway and surrounding ground where the aircraft was destroyed. The accident has halted activity at one of the U.S. Air Force’s most important test and training installations as investigators work to determine how the crash occurred.
