8 killed after B-52 crashes at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California
A B-52 bomber crashed Monday after taking off on a routine test mission from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, killing eight people, Air Force officials said.
The nuclear-capable aircraft, considered the “backbone” of the Air Force’s strategic bomber force, crashed on the Edwards airfield and burst into flames soon after taking off at 11:20 a.m., officials from the Kern County base reported through a social media post. Eight people, including military personnel, government civilians and government contractors were killed in the crash, which officials said was “unrecoverable” and “unsurvivable.”
“Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a horrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans,” Col. James Haynes said at a Monday afternoon news conference. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those that lost their loved ones.”
First responders "snapped into action” to extinguish the flames and cordon off the crash site — which was isolated to the runway of Edwards Air Force Base — while base officials established emergency operation and wing operation centers after the collision, Haynes said. After reviewing the footage of the incident, officials determined that the crash was not survivable and began the process to notify next-of-kin.
Officials said the airfield, which includes the world’s longest runway, was closed with inbound aircraft being diverted at 12:48 p.m. Edwards officials also said in a social media post that visitor passes were being suspended for the day “to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”
By 4:15 p.m., emergency operations had been completed, and Haynes said officials had shifted to conducting recovery operations. The base was also reopened to visitors.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Details would not be shared for at least six months, Haynes said, citing a multi-board review process that must be completed before information can be released to the public.
Air Force operations at the base will be terminated for Tuesday, Haynes confirmed.
While officials initially declined to speculate, Haynes confirmed that the B-52 Stratofortress was equipped with the new Active Electronically Scanned Array, or AESA, radar system. The modernized aircraft that had been successfully transferred to Edwards Air Force Base for testing in December.
According to the December release, test teams were expected to conduct ground and flight tests on the revamped B-52 aircraft throughout 2026. The upgrade is part of the B-52 Radar Modernization Program — a critical component of a broader strategy that aims to extend the B-52’s service life through 2050.
The B-52 Stratofortress was being flown in a local test mission Monday morning when the crash occurred.
In video footage from Los Angeles TV stations, including KTLA, smoke could be seen rising from a debris-strewn area just off the runway, with few remnants of the aircraft visible from the station’s vantage point.
“There’s a big, black smoke cloud over Edwards,” a pilot reported to Air Traffic Control shortly after 11:20 a.m., which officials then confirmed was from a B-52, according to Air Traffic Control recordings.
Built by Boeing, the eight-engine B-52 Stratofortress can carry a crew of up to five — a flight commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, an electronic warfare officer and a tail gunner. Air Force officials did not immediately identify the eight people killed or explain why there were more people aboard than the bomber’s standard crew complement.
The long-range bomber, which has flown regularly since 1955, is capable of carrying up to 35 tons of munitions and can fly more than 8,000 miles without aerial refueling. About 70 of the bombers remain in service with the Air Force, 50 of which are assigned to active-duty units based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
Edwards Air Force Base — about 70 miles east of Bakersfield and 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles — is a major testing and training site for developmental U.S. Air Force aircraft and NASA flight-testing operations.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM with the headline "8 killed after B-52 crashes at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California."
