Eight believed dead after B-52 crashes shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base

Eight crewmembers are believed to have been killed after a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, on Monday, officials said.

The bomber was carrying eight people on a routine test mission when it went down on the Edwards airfield around 11:20 a.m. PDT, according to the base. 

“An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after take-off at 11:20 a.m. (PDT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement. “Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel.”

Boeing confirmed two of its employees were among those on board.

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“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the eight crew members who lost their lives in the B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, California,” Boeing said in a statement. “It is with great sadness that we confirm two Boeing employees were among those on board. We are in contact with their families and are offering support.”

The base said emergency crews responded immediately after the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. The airfield was closed following the crash, and all inbound aircraft were diverted.

Photos from the scene showed a plume of smoke rising near the wreckage.

“Please join me in praying for the B-52 crew at Edwards Air Force Base and the entire Edwards community,” Rep. Vince Fong wrote on X.

Officials later confirmed the B-52 was on a local test sortie supporting the bomber’s radar modernization program when it crashed. The crew included a mix of military personnel, government civilians and government contractors supporting the test mission.

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The Air Force is pursuing a sweeping modernization effort for the B-52 fleet, including new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, upgraded avionics and a new AN/APQ-188 radar intended to keep the bomber flying into the 2050s. 

In January, the Air Force awarded Boeing a roughly $2 billion contract to modify and test two B-52s equipped with the new engines ahead of a planned fleetwide upgrade.

The B-52 typically operates with a crew of five, including two pilots, a radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer. 

The aircraft is one of 76 B-52s remaining in the Air Force inventory. The fleet is expected to remain in service for decades as the Air Force pursues extensive modernization upgrades.

The nuclear-capable bomber first entered service in the 1950s and remains a central component of the U.S. strategic bomber force.

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The last B-52 airframe lost in a crash was destroyed during a takeoff accident at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in 2016.

Edwards is the Air Force’s premier flight-test center, and B-52s stationed there are frequently used for developmental and modernization testing rather than routine operational missions.