A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on June 15, 2026, shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight people aboard in an unsurvivable impact.
The aircraft, tail number 60-0061, was conducting a radar modernization test mission at the time of the accident. Among the eight killed were two Boeing employees who were part of the test team overseeing the avionics upgrade program.
Air Force officials confirmed the crash occurred at approximately 11:20 in the morning local time. Search and recovery operations were completed by evening, and the wreckage site was secured for a formal accident investigation.
Investigators said determining a cause would take months given the complexity of the mission profile and the aircraft’s instrumentation. The B-52 fleet has served as a cornerstone of American strategic airpower for decades, and any crash draws immediate scrutiny of airworthiness and modernization protocols.
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Sources:
https://www.military.com/8-people-died-in-b-52-bomber-crash-at-us-air-force-base-in-southern-california-officials-say