US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on takeoff on Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, bursting into flames and killing all eight crew members aboard, Air Force officials said. The eight-engine, jet-powered aircraft, built to carry a wide array of nuclear and conventional bombs, was on a routine test mission when it crashed on the runway at Edwards just after leaving the ground, Air Force Colonel James Hayes said at a press conference hours later. A towering pall of black smoke billowing from the crash site was visible for miles immediately after the accident. He said the “mixed crew” aboard the aircraft consisted of government civilians, government contractors and uniformed military personnel. Aerospace giant Boeing BA.N, which designed and built the plane, said two of its employees were among the dead. The flight was intended to support a radar modernization program, Hayes told reporters. The cause of the crash was unknown and under investigation, he added. Air Force officials did not name the victims, saying they were still in the process of notifying their next of kin.
US Air Force B-52 bomber crashes, killing all onboard
Published on: June 17, 2026 6:34 AM