Eight people were killed Monday when a U.S. Air Force B-52 went down moments after lifting off from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California and caught fire.
Col. James Hayes, the base’s deputy commander, said the crash happened at 11:20 a.m. during a local test flight tied to the base’s radar modernization program. Video showed heavy smoke rising from the crash site.
Who was on board
Hayes said the crew included service members, civilian government employees and contractors. Boeing said two of its employees were on the flight and that the company was in contact with their families.
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Officials said the crew’s families were being notified.
CNN reported that the crash was the deadliest involving a B-52 since 1982, when nine people died during a training accident near Sacramento. The last fatal B-52 crash before Monday happened in 2008 near Guam, where six Air Force personnel were killed.
The B-52 Stratofortress has served in the U.S. military since the 1950s. The long-range bomber can carry conventional and nuclear weapons and typically flies with a crew of five. CNN reported that these specialized test missions frequently board private manufacturing technicians or civilian engineers to track equipment performance.
Base response and investigation
Hayes said the crash was contained inside Edwards Air Force Base. Officials temporarily grounded local operations and diverted inbound aircraft while emergency crews secured the area. The base later reopened, but officials paused routine flight operations through Tuesday.
Investigators have not determined a cause. Hayes said the Air Force will first gather facts through an interim safety board, then move into safety and accident reviews. He said the full process could take up to six months before officials release detailed findings.
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