Eight dead after US Air Force B-52 bomber crashes in California

2026-06-16 07:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Eight people, including two Boeing employees, have been killed after a US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.

The incident occurred at 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT) on Monday while the plane was on a routine test mission. The crash sent a large cloud of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles.

"Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a terrible tragedy and we lost eight great Americans," said Colonel James Hayes, describing them as a "mixed team of military personnel, government civilians and government contractors."

The base previously said initial indications were that the crash was "not survivable."

The crew's next of kin are being notified and will be named 24 hours after that, Hayes said at a press conference this afternoon.

The collision was "completely contained" inside Edwards Air Force Base on the runway, Hayes said, and the base has temporarily suspended operations.

He said the B-52 had been supporting the base's radar modernization program and crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames.

After reviewing initial footage, the incident was deemed "an irreversible and unguarded collision," Hayes said.

No cause has yet been determined and will not be determined until after a series of investigations, which could take up to 30 days. Further investigations to analyze the cause could take more than six months, Hayes said.

Boeing confirmed in a separate statement that two of its employees had been among those on board and said the company was in contact with their families. The aerospace giant declined to comment further when contacted by the BBC.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the accident "a tragic incident" and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the Edwards Air Force Base community in a post on X.

Aerial footage showed a scorched and smoky landscape where the crash occurred.

The base said in a previous update that all incoming aircraft had been diverted and all non-commercial visitor permits had been suspended "until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations."

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been used by the US military since the 1950s. It is nicknamed "the Buff", which is partly short for "Big Ugly Fat".

The B-52 is a long-range strategic bomber that participated in bombing raids during the US-Israeli war in Iran.

Capable of flying up to 50,000 feet — compared to commercial jets, which fly at around 35,000 feet — the colossal bomber's 70,000 lb (32,000 kg) payload can include hundreds of conventional bombs and 32 nuclear cruise missiles.