B-52 bomber crashes on test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight
A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert on June 15, bursting into flames on impact. All eight people aboard were killed. “We lost eight great Americans,” said Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing. Officials said a review of footage indicated there could not have been any survivors.
The aircraft was on a routine test mission tied to a radar-modernization program, and those killed included both military personnel and government contractors; Boeing confirmed two of its employees were aboard. The cause is undetermined, and the investigation could take up to six months.
The B-52 entered service in 1955 and remains a core part of the U.S. bomber fleet, with the Air Force investing in upgrades — new radars and re-engining — meant to keep the airframe flying into the 2050s. The loss of a test aircraft does not threaten that fleet but underscores how much of the modernization work runs through flight testing at Edwards.