Eight crew members were killed after the B-52H Stratofortress, a US Air Force bomber, crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.
Officials confirmed that the incident took place immediately the plane took off from the runway, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air.
“Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a terrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans,” Col James Hayes, the Deputy Commander at 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, said in a statement.
He described the people who lost their lives a group “mixed crew of military, government civilians and government contractors”.
What do you think caused this B-52 bomber crash? 😳
mechanical failure, or something else? What went wrong here? pic.twitter.com/kNZhztn5IW— durvesh (@BLackgold_5) June 16, 2026
In a post on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom called the crash “a tragic incident” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.
