Eight killed in B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base
A US Air Force B-52 crashed shortly after takeoff in Southern California during a routine test mission, killing all eight people aboard.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
A US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, killing all eight people on board, officials said. The crash is now under investigation, and officials said the aircraft had been part of a radar modernization program.
The Boeing-built long-range bomber went down at about 11:20 a.m. local time shortly after taking off from the base in the Mojave Desert, military officials said at a news conference. Officials said the aircraft caught fire on impact near the base runway.
Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, said officials reviewed video of the crash and determined there was no chance anyone survived. “We lost eight great Americans,” Hayes said, according to Al Jazeera, adding that authorities were notifying relatives.
The victims included military personnel and government contractors, US military officials said. Boeing said Monday evening that two of its employees were among those aboard the aircraft.
Officials said the crew had been conducting a routine test mission. Hayes said the cause was not yet known and that an investigation could take as long as six months.
Aerial footage cited by Al Jazeera showed heavy black smoke rising from a burned stretch of desert near the runway. Fire crews worked at the site while other emergency vehicles remained nearby, and little of the bomber appeared to be intact.
Edwards Air Force Base said earlier on X that its airfield had been closed and inbound aircraft were being diverted. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the crash a tragic incident in a post on X and offered condolences to the victims’ families and the Edwards community, while thanking emergency crews at the scene.
The aircraft and its upgrade program
Hayes said the B-52 involved in the crash belonged to a fleet supporting a radar modernization program. Officials did not say whether that work had any connection to the accident.
The B-52, known by the nickname BUFF, has been used by the US Air Force since 1955, according to Al Jazeera. The bomber was first developed for nuclear deterrence missions during the Cold War and has since been used in conflicts including the Vietnam War and the US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera reported that the aircraft can fly about 14,000 kilometers, or 8,700 miles, without refueling and can carry up to 32,000 kilograms, or 70,550 pounds, of weapons. The bomber can launch nuclear missiles and is compatible with air-to-ground missiles and precision munitions, according to the report.
The B-52 fleet has received multiple upgrades over decades of service, with new versions receiving new model designations. Al Jazeera reported that the current B-52J upgrade plan includes Rolls-Royce F130 engines and an electronically scanned array radar made by Raytheon Technologies.
That radar is designed to replace older mechanical radar from the 1960s, according to Al Jazeera. Officials have not established whether any upgrade work was related to Monday’s crash.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.